


Strange Emotions: Yandere Alastor x Vaggie

by InGodzHandz



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Friendship, Horror, One-Sided Attraction, Other, Yandere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:21:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 48
Words: 87,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22946974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InGodzHandz/pseuds/InGodzHandz
Summary: Alastor has fallen in love with Vaggie and spirited her away to his manor.  When Angel Dust tries to save her, he is captured, too.  How will the two of them survive against the Radio Demon and his best friend Rosie?  Keep reading to find out.
Relationships: Alastor & Rosie (Hazbin Hotel), Alastor/Vaggie (Hazbin Hotel), Angel Dust & Vaggie (Hazbin Hotel), Charlie Magne/Vaggie
Comments: 147
Kudos: 302





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I have a Patreon now for an original book I'm writing. Please contribute if you can: https://www.patreon.com/LightTheMatch?fan_landing=true

Vaggie woke up with a slight headache. She sat up on the bed and rubbed her neck as she looked around the room that she did not remember entering.   
Vaggie was lying on a queen-sized bed backed into the room’s right corner. The bed had nice wood paneling on its bedframe and weird carvings. She looked closer and realized that little deer were carved into the woodwork. She noticed a bedside table with a lamp and a radio and a tall bottle of water, a mirror hanging on the wall next to the bed, large windows behind her looking over Hell, and a small full bathroom on the other side of the room, but besides that, the room was completely bare.  
Strange. Vaggie had never been in this hotel room before…  
“Hello!” Alastor said suddenly pushing the bedroom door open and strutting over to the bed. “How are you feeling?”  
“Yeah, what happened?” Vaggie asked sitting herself up on the bed.  
“Oh, you fainted, dear,” Alastor said stopping at the foot of the bed and leaning on his cane. “So, I thought you could use some rest.”  
“That is unexpectedly nice of you,” Vaggie said getting to her feet, brushing herself off, and preparing to leave since she didn’t like being in the Radio Demon’s presence longer than she had to. “Thanks. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I better go check in with Charlie…”  
“Wait,” Alastor said sliding in front of her and gently pushing her back on the bed. “There is something I need to tell you, Vaggie, dear.”  
“Okay,” Vaggie said suspiciously. “But make it quick. I’ve got things to do.”  
“Vaggie, I don’t know how to say this,” Alastor said dramatically sitting back on the bed next to her. “Ever since you first shoved that spear at my face, you’ve fascinated me. Honestly, you have…”  
“Oh, God…” Vaggie said fearfully while Alastor continued rambling obliviously.  
“I mean, most demons know who I am and tremble at my very presence, but you, you knew who I was when I first came to the hotel and still you didn’t hesitate to stand up to me despite your comparative weakness. I’ve tried, but I can’t forget about it…”  
“This is going exactly where I think it’s going. Isn’t it?”  
“I can’t stop thinking about you, your courage, your brashness, your fierceness, your moxie. It has consumed my every waking thought. It makes me feel emotions I have never felt before and cannot really explain…”  
“God, why?”  
“I…I think I might be in love with you…”  
“This can’t be happening,” Vaggie whined. “Why me, God?”  
“So, I have to ask, my dear,” Alastor finally said. “Do you feel the same way about me?”  
“No,” Vaggie said without a shred of hesitation as she rose to her feet. “Absolutely not! You disgust me.”  
“Oh?” Alastor asked. “Is that the way you feel?”  
“Uh, yes,” Vaggie said as she took the water bottle off the night stand, took a sip, and started walking towards the open door. “Sorry. I’m sure you can find another demoness who’s into cannibalism and mass murder, but I’m not the one. I’ll see you later.”  
“I am so sorry to hear you say that,” Alastor replied somewhat sadly.  
Clink. Suddenly, as she came within two meters of the door Vaggie felt resistance on her left foot that kept her from moving forward.   
“What the hell?” Vaggie said out loud in annoyance as she looked down at her foot.   
To her horror, there was a shackle around her left foot with a chain that extended all the way back to the bed.  
Before she could even react, Alastor was standing over her with his sadistic smile.  
"What the fuck is going on here?" Vaggie snarled threateningly. "I demand an answer!"  
"Vaggie, sweetheart, I already told you," Alastor replied. "You fascinate me. You fascinate me more than anyone else has ever fascinated me. I don't know why exactly, but you're too interesting to leave alone, my dear."  
"Where the hell am I?!" Vaggie yelled angrily.  
Alastor twisted his head to the side and said, "You're quite sharp, too. You're in my humble abode. Far away from any of your friends at the hotel. Don't worry. I left a note explaining everything. They know you're in my care, but neither they nor you can do anything about it…"  
"Look, if you want my services, you can have them, but unchain me right now!" Vaggie retorted fearlessly staring into his eyes as much as her shorter height would allow.  
"What?!" Alastor replied in surprise. "What kind of mindless brute do you take me for? I don't want to make love to you like some kind of tom cat in heat. Disgusting. I want to win you over. Make you mine. Tame the shrew out of you and see if I can get you to reciprocate my affections."  
"There's no chance in hell of that ever happening," Vaggie said more quietly but more cruelly than before. "I hate you. You got it? I would rather be sent to the Lake of Fire and burn for all eternity than pretend even for one minute that I feel anything for a piece of shit like you!"  
"We'll see about that, sweetie," Alastor replied before he was interrupted by another kingpin, a woman in Victorian dress.  
"Oh, there you are, Alastor," Rosie replied from the doorway. "Is that the demoness you were telling me about on the phone?"  
"The very one," Alastor replied looking over his shoulder.  
"Oh, Alastor, she's absolutely adorable!" Rosie exclaimed. "When's the wedding?"  
Vaggie grimaced as Alastor walked to the door and replied. "I'm afraid that's a long way off, Rosie. Currently, Vaggie doesn't care much for me at all."  
"I'm sure you can change that, dear," Rosie reassured. "If I do say so myself, you are quite charming. Now, did you want me to wait or do you still want to take our tea?"  
"I'll be ready in just a minute," Alastor said putting his hand on the doorknob. "Just let me finish getting my guest settled in. Do you mind waiting?"  
"Oh, not at all," Rosie replied with a twisted smile. "Take your time."  
"I'm afraid I must leave you, Vaggie, my dear," Alastor said turning back around. "I have some personal matters to attend to that cannot wait. The chain you're wearing is long enough to reach the bathroom should you need to bathe or powder your nose. I packed that room with all the feminine hygiene products you might need. The cook shall bring your dinner in a few hours. For obvious reasons, your portable phone has been confiscated, but for your entertainment, you have the radio and…Oh, I almost forgot…Catch."  
Alastor tossed Vaggie a book. She caught it in her hands and read the title. It was The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare.  
"If you're extra good, I'll bring you some more," Alastor said in a sing song tone as he started pulling the door shut behind him. "I'll see you later, love. Have a fabulous evening!"  
Vaggie saw the door shut and heard a few locks turning on the other side.  
Vaggie's anger reached a fever pitch as she threw the book at the door and screamed, "ALASTOR, YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU WILL NOT KEEP ME HERE! YOU HEAR ME?! I'M GOING TO ESCAPE! FUCK YOU AND YOUR STUPID EMOTIONS!"  
In the hallway, Rosie took Alastor's arm as she said, "She's quite the character. I can see why you find her so endearing."


	2. Chapter Two

Vaggie sat on the bed trying to pick the lock on the shackle around her foot with a bobby pin. All her weapons had been confiscated and the few items the large, bare room had were not capable of breaking the chain, so she spent almost an hour trying to pick the lock around her foot with a bobby pin. But it was no use. The lock wouldn't budge.  
Vaggie threw the broken-up bobby pin on the floor in frustration and sat back against the bed's headboard. There had to be another way out. There just had to be. There was no way in hell that she was going to spend her eternity as Alastor's love interest.  
"Vaggie, sweetheart!" said the annoying voice of Alastor.  
Vaggie sat up and looked around, but the radio demon wasn't anywhere.  
"Over here," Alastor's voice said.  
Vaggie turned her head and realized that to her astonishment Alastor was speaking to her directly through the radio.  
"Now that I have your attention, I must ask you not to leave your garbage on the floor," Alastor said. "It is most unsanitary. There is a garbage can at the end of the bed. Please use that instead. Thank you! Also, please pick up that book you left on the floor."  
Vaggie's heart skipped a beat as the radio went silent again. Alastor had somehow been keeping tabs on her the whole time. She looked around desperately but saw no sign of a video camera. Then, it clicked. The radio. The goddamn radio.  
Vaggie knew what to do. In a fit of rage, she picked up the radio, pushed open the window, and threw the radio out as hard as she could. She went back to the bed as she heard a loud crack on the ground and a familiar scream.  
Vaggie heard a familiar voice yell, "Hey! Watch where you throw that shit!"  
Vaggie ran back to the window as quickly as she could to see Angel standing on the ground outside the giant manor hyperventilating. She couldn't believe it.  
"Angel!" Vaggie yelled in surprise. "Up here!"  
Angel looked up at Vaggie, grimaced, and said, "How do ya like that? I search all over Hell for ya and you throw a radio at my head."  
"Angel, thank God! How the hell did you find this place?" Vaggie asked in relief.  
"Hell hath no fury like that of a lover's scorn, Vaggie."  
"What?"  
"I can't believe Alastor kidnapped you instead of me. I mean, seriously. I flirt with the guy for months and he turns his attention to you. It's unfair. That is like my biggest fantasy."  
"Why…Whatever. Look, Angel, I don't know how long we have so can you get me out of here please?"  
"Of course, why the hell do you think I came?" Angel asked. "Can you jump to me? I'll catch you."  
"I can't," Vaggie replied with a sigh. "My foot is chained to the bed. I've tried picking it for about an hour. It won't budge."  
"Oh, my God," Angel whined. "He's even fulfilling that fantasy."  
"Angel!" Vaggie pleaded nervously.  
"Alright, don't get your taco in a twist, babe. I'm comin'," Angel said as he began climbing up the wall with his spider abilities. "But you owe me."  
"If you get me out of here, I'll give ya whatever the fuck you want," Vaggie said sitting herself down on the window sill and letting her feet dangle over the ledge.  
Unfortunately, that was when she heard someone unlocking the door.  
"Shit," Vaggie said quietly to Angel. "It's Alastor. Angel, you need to hide."  
Angel responded by camouflaging himself to blend in with the wall. Huh. Vaggie never knew he could do that.  
"Vaggie, dear!" Alastor said swinging the door open before he walked in with Rosie following behind him. "What do you think you're doing?"  
"Looking outside at the forest," Vaggie retorted as she pulled her legs back inside and placed them on the ground as she leaned back against the window sill. "Is that a problem?"  
"Yes," Alastor said walking over to her and leaning over so that they were looking each other in the eyes. "And I regret to inform you that's not the only problem we have here. You see. Your bobby pin and your book are still on the floor, and you have broken the radio I so generously gave you. What do you have to say for yourself?"  
Vaggie glared at him for one second in silence before she spat saliva in his eye.  
Alastor winced but didn't change his smile as he stood up and wiped his eye.  
"Disgusting!" Rosie rebuked. "Young lady, have you any manners?"  
"Not for two psychopaths who kidnapped me!" Vaggie retorted. "You two can go fuck yourselves."  
"This attitude is not acceptable," Rosie said angrily walking over to Vaggie and pulling on the strap of her dress. "You should apologize to your host right now."  
"Hell, no!" Vaggie said pushing Rosie off her. "Just let me go!"  
Without another word, Alastor gently pushed Rosie to the side and squatted down as he unlocked the shackle from Vaggie's ankle.  
Vaggie stood there stunned and Rosie interjected, "Alastor, dear, what are you doing?"  
Alastor nonchalantly unlocked the other end of the shackle from around the bed's foot and flashed a huge creepy smile.  
Then suddenly, before anyone could even blink, Alastor put the larger shackle around Vaggie's neck.  
"Hey!" Vaggie yelled pulling as hard as she could at the new collar around her neck. "What are you doing?!"  
"As I said before, Vaggie, my dear, I intend on making you mine," Alastor said calmly crossing his brows and maintaining his smile as Vaggie pulled at her chain as hard as she could. "I do not appreciate this disrespect and disobedience. As my future lover, I expect more from you. So, if you want to act like a wild animal…"  
Alastor paused to pull Vaggie's chain until they were looking each other in the eyes before he finished, "you should expect to be treated like one."  
"Alastor, dear, why don't we bring Vaggie to tea with us?" Rosie suggested. "I'm sure we could settle all this over a nice cup of tea."  
"Great idea as always, Rosie," Alastor replied wrapped Vaggie's chain around his hand and letting go of some slack.  
Alastor tried pulling Vaggie behind him, but she reached for the chain and started pulling back. Vaggie pulled back as hard as she could before Rosie grabbed her wrists and pulled them behind her back.  
"Nah ah ah," Rosie said playfully as she conjured a rope out of nowhere.  
Vaggie tried pulling her hands out of her grasp, but Alastor came behind her and pulled her hair hard from behind disorienting Vaggie long enough for Rosie to tie the poor moth demon's wrists together securely behind her back.  
"There, that's a good girl," Rosie said affectionately rubbing Vaggie's hair.  
"A brilliant idea as always, Rosie," Alastor complimented before Vaggie launched herself at him.  
"You goddamn psychos, do you really think you're getting away with this?" Vaggie asked lunging at Alastor angrily again. "You told Charlie what you were doing. She doesn't care if you sponsor the hotel. She's not giving up until she finds me, and when she does, you won't be able to oppose her, you despicable mother-mph!"  
Alastor tied his black handkerchief around Vaggie's mouth to gag her as he replied, "I'm aware of that, dearest. That's why starting tonight I'm going to be working from home. Now, come along. Let's go get that tea."  
Vaggie pulled back against the chain as Alastor pulled it only for Rosie to push her forward into the hallway.  
"Thank you, Rosie," Alastor said before turning to Vaggie and pulling her chain down the hallway. "Allow me to give you a tour on the way to the tea room, Vaggie dear. This home was designed by my colleague and inspiration, H.H. Holmes. In case you don't know, he's America's first serial killer. He's most notable for constructing a murder-minded hotel for the Chicago's World Fair and luring many innocent young women to their deaths. Ha ha ha ha!"  
Angel peaked over the window sill for long enough to see Alastor and Rosie cruelly drag Vaggie out of the room. As soon as they had shut the door and gone, Angel conjured his spikey bat and his machine gun along with all the other weapons in his arsenal that he could manage to carry.  
"Don't worry, Vag," Angel said. "I'm comin'. If there's anything I know, bondage ain't fun unless it's consensual."


	3. Run, Vaggie!

“And here are the portraits of some of my favorite victims,” Alastor said proudly pausing to show off his work. “Sometimes when a kill is particularly memorable, I’ll commission a painter to paint the prey before I eat them and send their souls to the Lake of Fire. Quite lovely! Wouldn’t you say?”  
Vaggie, of course, couldn’t respond through her gag, but she rolled her eyes and looked askance while fighting against the rope tying her hands together behind her back.  
Alastor sighed and said disappointedly, “Oh, Rosie. She’s not interested in any of it. What ever shall I do?”  
“You could always add another punishment,” Rosie said sadistically placing her cold hands on Vaggie’s shoulders. “You could place a blindfold over her eyes so that the chain around her neck is the only thing guiding her forward. What do you think, Vaggie? Would you respect your new home more if Alastor’s voice was the only thing guiding you through it?”  
Panic crossed Vaggie’s eyes for only a second before her eyes settled into a glare.   
Rosie stared at that glare for only a moment before Alastor replied, “Oh, Rosie, you are too cruel. How is Vaggie supposed to navigate her new home if she can’t see it?”  
“You would keep her locked in her room for all eternity, except for the special occasions you visit,” Rosie said excitedly getting in his face. “The claustrophobia and the loneliness will break her down for sure. I’ve seen it time and again. The isolation is enough to drive any demon mad. The claustrophobia just makes it happen faster. She’ll become your bride before you know it…”  
Vaggie decided to stop listening to the two kingpins deciding her fate and took the opportunity to fight back against her hands’ restraints without interruption. She strained and strained against the rope, but it was no use. The knots were tied too well and her fingers couldn’t get a good grip on them.  
Vaggie sighed into her gag before she came up with another idea. She remembered a movie she watched as a teenager where the main character managed to escape with his hands tied behind her back. That character had moved her hands in front of her and chewed apart the knots in the rope. Conceivably, Vaggie could do the same thing.  
So, while her captors continued their discussion, Vaggie sat down on the ground and lowered her hands so that they were just behind her bottom. Then having leaned back so that her hands were flat on the floor, she scooted backwards until her legs went through the loop of her arms and her hands were in front of her instead of behind her.  
Vaggie smiled underneath her gag. She never realized she was that flexible. She could chew apart the knots now, but first, she had to get her chain away from her captors.   
Vaggie looked up to see that Alastor was not gripping the chain very tightly and smiled again. She grabbed the chain with her bound hands as gently as she could so as not to get their attention. Then, Vaggie pulled the chain as hard as she could.  
The chain slipped out of Alastor’s hand, but it was caught by Rosie’s.  
Alastor and Rosie looked over in Vaggie’s direction as the latter said, “Oh, look, Alastor. The dog learned a new trick. Isn’t that adorable?”  
Vaggie responded by tightening her grip and delivering another glare.  
“Rosie, that’s rude,” Alastor replied. “I mean, she went through all this trouble just to impress us. Vaggie deserves a reward. Don’t you think?”  
“Oh, Alastor, what a grand idea!” Rosie exclaimed. “How should we reward her?”  
Vaggie had enough of their degrading banter. She pulled back on the chain even harder than before.   
Rosie smiled at her spirit and let go of the chain causing Vaggie to fall on her back and hit her head. The pair then walked over and stood over her condescendingly while Vaggie caught her breath underneath the gag.  
“Vaggie, sweetheart, are you alright?” Alastor asked condescendingly. “You look so tired and flustered. Here, let me carry you the rest of the way.”  
Without another word, Alastor scooped Vaggie up into his arms, snapped his fingers, and made the chain and leash disappear. Vaggie instantly started breathing more easily.  
“Alastor, dear, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Rosie asked skeptically.   
“Of course,” Alastor replied carrying the disoriented Vaggie down the hall bridal style. “A dog doesn’t need a leash if she’s being carried. Besides, it’s a good reward. Don’t you think?”  
“I suppose,” Rosie conceded. “We don’t have far to go anyway.”  
In about a minute, Vaggie regained her senses and saw that she was being carried up the stairs.   
Once they reached the top of the stairs, Alastor announced, “We’re here at the tea room, Vaggie.”  
Vaggie looked in front of her to see Rosie open the door to a small room. Without a word, Alastor carried Vaggie inside.  
Inside the tea room was a table with three chairs and a still steaming tea pot sitting on top of it. The room was decorated completely in red from the curtains to the walls to the carpeted floor and the chairs. A large window looked out over the forest and the courtyard below.  
Alastor sat Vaggie down on one of the chairs, put a napkin on her lap, and said, “Alrighty, Vaggie, my dear! I’m going to remove your gag now so that you may enjoy your tea. If I do that, do you promise to behave?”  
Vaggie looked at him and reluctantly nodded. She would have to go along with what Alastor wanted until she found an opportunity to escape.   
Before Alastor could remove the gag however, his ears started twitching and he stood alert.  
“Alastor, dear, do you hear something?” Rosie asked.   
“Yes, it is probably nothing, but one can never be too careful,” Alastor tapped his cane on the ground summoning several of his deer familiars.  
Vaggie watched fearfully as Alastor said, “Alright, my deers, I order you to check the premises for an intruder. I want its heart.”  
As the familiars set to work, Alastor turned to Rosie and said, “Rosie, will you entertain my guest for a little while? I have to make sure my home is safe.”  
“Of course, dear,” Rosie said as Alastor opened and shut the door behind him leaving Vaggie alone with the kingpin.  
Vaggie and Rosie stared at each for a tense second before Rosie broke the silence, “How do you like your tea, dear?”  
Vaggie couldn’t verbally respond but glared as she used her feet to scoot her chair closer to the table.  
Rosie looked up and noticed Vaggie’s still gagged mouth and replied, “Oh, that’s right. How silly of me to forget. I’ll surprise you and you can tell me yourself once your gag is removed.”  
Rosie poured the tea into the cup and said, “I know you’ll love it, Vaggie. It’s a special herbal blend I invented myself…”   
Vaggie stopped scooting and sat in wait.  
“You know,” Rosie said as she stirred some cream and sugar into the cup. “A long time ago, I would have envied you. Alastor has always been so charming, but his heart never felt the call of romance until he met you. Not that I can’t see why of course. You are so lively and modern.”  
Rosie stood up, put the tea cup in front of her, and said, “I hope you like the tea, dear…AHHHHH!”  
Vaggie had kicked the table over firing the hot tea right into Rosie’s face. While Rosie was still blinded, Vaggie hopped to her feet and used her bound hands to open the door.   
“You will pay for this, you horrid ingrate!” Rosie yelled after her as she shut the door behind her.  
Vaggie saw a large clock by the door and kicked it down to block the door. Then she ran down the stairs while pulling her gag down finally allowing herself to breathe normally.  
“Keep yourself alive, Angel,” Vaggie whispered out loud. “We’re getting out of here.”


	4. Chapter 4

Vaggie dashed down the multiple flights of stairs as quietly as she could until she finally reached the bottom and stopped to catch her breath and think.   
The Radio Demon’s home was much larger than she thought. Oh, well. On the bright side, that should mean she would have plenty of places to hide…  
A bright red light lit up the far end of the hallway indicating the presence of Alastor or one of his minions. Vaggie practically stopped breathing for a moment. She didn’t start breathing again until the light disappeared into another direction. Vaggie didn’t know where it had gone, but she figured she didn’t have time to figure that out.  
Vaggie crept quietly off the stairs and opened the door of the first room she saw. After shutting the door with her bound hands, she stopped to look around.   
As her eyes started adjusting to the dark, Vaggie realized that she was in a workout room.   
Strewn all over the black-matted floor, there was a bunch of really old-fashioned looking workout equipment. There were dumbbells with round weights at the end, a treadmill that was run manually, a rowing machine, and other equipment that Vaggie could only vaguely recognize.  
Vaggie didn’t study the equipment too much however. She quickly noticed the sliding glass doors on the other side of the room leading to the outside and made her next move.  
Vaggie silently navigated around the equipment. She moved as slowly and quietly as she possibly could avoiding every noise possible. Vaggie even regulated the noise of her breathing.  
She did not know the full extent of Alastor’s demonic power. Nobody really did, except those he had deposed and sent to the fiery pit, but Vaggie had a hunch.   
Alastor only came back to her room and dished out punishment when she had destroyed one of his radios. A rich kingpin like him could easily replace a broken radio and Vaggie had seen dozens of them in the house during their “tour,” so he didn’t return to lecture her about breaking a prized possession. There was another reason Alastor came back.   
Vaggie suspected that reason was that Alastor needed radios for surveillance. Somehow, he used radios as listening devices that were telepathically connected to his ears. He used them to survey his home, and most likely, the rest of hell. That was how Alastor could hear whatever Angel had done and how he likely collected information all over hell. Without them, he was blind, or more accurately, deaf to things happening across a longer distance.   
If that was true, Alastor had a few obvious weaknesses. First, as with any security system, Alastor couldn’t possibly catch everything, especially since radios didn’t keep recordings. Second, Alastor couldn’t track what he couldn’t hear, so if a target was silent and fast enough, they could theoretically escape him. No one had succeeded yet, but that didn’t mean Vaggie couldn’t try. Besides, what choice did she have?  
Vaggie finally reached the sliding door without facing any signs from Alastor. She unlocked the sliding door, stepped outside, and silently slid it shut. Still no sign of Alastor. Vaggie smiled. It looked like she was right.  
That smile quickly disappeared however when she saw the Radio Demon’s large garden. There were dozens of well-tended beds of red poppies with large statues in the center of each one. As she approached one of the beds, Vaggie’s heart skipped a beat. The statues were of demons, and not just any demons, they were all painstakingly-detailed statues of former kingpins. Vaggie couldn’t recognize their faces, but she recognized the names on the little plaques placed by their feet.   
For the moth demon, it was more than a little unnerving, but she couldn’t let herself get scared now. Vaggie shook the thoughts out of her head and looked for an exit.   
Unfortunately, when Vaggie looked past the statues, she realized that there was a tall iron fence lining the property’s boundary against the outskirts of a thick forest. Vaggie quickly but quietly ran up to the fence under the shadow of the trees where it would be easier to hide and look for an exit on the periphery.   
Once she arrived, Vaggie stopped to catch her breath, looked back at the house she had just escaped from, and gasped in awe.   
It was the largest house she had ever seen, not counting the Happy Hotel. It was easily five stories and large enough to house every resident in the El Salvador slum where she grew up. The exterior was a red, stone, chateau-esque Gilded Age mansion that somehow looked every bit as menacing as Alastor’s reputation. The red-flowered vines growing on the walls did nothing to soften its threatening exterior. They couldn’t have. The flowers, like the house and the poppies, were the color of blood.   
It was nowhere Vaggie wanted to be forced to live. She scoffed at its excess and began walking tentatively under the shadow of the trees next to the iron fence.   
Vaggie looked at the fence and guessed that it went up about 20 feet. A demon like Angel could hop over it without too much trouble, but for her, it was too high, especially considering that her wrists were still bound together. She would have to find a gate and pray that she could escape that way instead.  
Vaggie began chewing at the knots that held her wrists together and tried her best not to worry about Angel. If she got out of this place at all, it would be because of him and yet there was nothing she could do to help him. That ate at Vaggie’s conscience.   
The dumbass got on her nerves and made horribly misguided decisions, but even she couldn’t deny there was good in him. Angel had a reluctant heart of gold when it came to his friends, and even if he claimed he only came to save her to get back at Alastor, Vaggie knew that Angel considered her enough of a friend to stick his neck out for her all the same. She now owed him.  
Vaggie stopped chewing the tight knots in frustration. Rosie was very experienced at tying knots. She probably had a kill count as high as Alastor did.   
Vaggie hated it. She hated the rope that bound her hands together. She hated that she couldn’t help Angel. She hated Rosie for being a sadistic bitch. She hated Alastor for dragging her there in the first place. She hated that she couldn’t scream out her pain in frustration in case Alastor heard her and came running to retrieve her. She hated all of it and could do nothing but shed angry tears and send God angry prayers for not helping her more quickly.  
Then as if an answer to prayer, Vaggie noticed a small stone house the size of a medium-sized shed coming up in the distance. She assumed it was a shed for gardening tools. It had to be.  
Vaggie was overjoyed. The shed would have tools to cut her hands free. It could have the keys to the gate there, or at the very least, it was something she could use the rope to climb so she could reach the top of the gate. It didn’t solve every issue, but it solved enough of them to give Vaggie a bit of hope, as long as it wasn’t locked.  
Upon closer inspection, the shed was larger and better built than Vaggie thought. It had air conditioning units on the side along with a hose and a few plumbing pipes going into the ground.   
That was when Vaggie came to a horrifying realization. It was a slaughterhouse. It had to be. No garden shed was this well-built.   
The hand-painted sign above the door seemed to confirm her suspicion. It said, “Sacred Treasure.” Vaggie gagged. Yep. Alastor would pick such a messed-up title. She was in the right place. Oh, well. At least, a slaughterhouse had sharp objects Vaggie could cut her ropes on, again, as long as it wasn’t locked.   
Vaggie twisted open the handle, stepped into the dark, windowless building, and shut the door behind her. She felt around the wall with her bound hands until she found the light switch, and when Vaggie flipped it on, her mouth fell wide open.   
The building was a slaughterhouse that Alastor had converted into a shrine dedicated to her. Hidden photographs of her covered the walls. Vaggie’s heart sank. The Radio Demon had been stalking her for months without her knowledge and that was not all.  
The slaughterhouse table was covered in blankets and pillows that smelled like the perfume she liked to use indicating that Alastor had slept in there. Vaggie gagged as she ran around the table, and found, to her horror, that a detailed statue of her with a display stand holding the spear she used to threaten him on the day they met.   
Vaggie was frightened, but she was also angry. Alastor thought he could stalk her, study her like a new animal species, and steal her possessions without her permission. He was going to pay for that, but first, she had to cut her bonds.  
Vaggie began cutting her rope on the sharp spear in front of her statue. She smirked in relief as the rope cut through the knots and unraveled on the ground. The rope finally broke apart.   
“Yes!” Vaggie cried out in joy as she twisted her wrists around in relief and pulled the black handkerchief free from her neck. “Now to find Charlie…”  
“There, you are, my love!” the eerie yet irritating radio host voice said happily from behind her causing Vaggie to freeze fearfully in her tracks. “I was so worried when Rosie told me about that fight you two got in. I wanted to come comfort you sooner, but we couldn’t find you anywhere and I honestly never expected you to get this far. No one ever has. I’m honestly impressed.”  
Vaggie just then noticed the radio sitting at the feet of the statue. She screamed out in frustration as she kicked the radio against the wall breaking it instantly.  
“Oh, you figured that out, too?!” Alastor exclaimed in surprise. “Oh, Vaggie! You are so smart! I’m falling in love with you more every minute!”  
Vaggie angrily grabbed her spear and turned around to point it in the face of the Radio Demon sitting on the edge of the table.   
“What happened to the intruder?!” Vaggie yelled pointing the spear in Alastor’s face.   
Alastor, of course, wasn’t intimidated in the least but whistled a radio jingle and summoned his familiars. The light went out, the door flew open, and his deer familiars flew in carrying in Angel.   
The spider demon had all six of his arms tied horizontally behind his back, and his feet were tied together rendering him completely immobile. He was slightly bruised and coughing very hard, but he still smiled weakly when he saw Vaggie.  
“Hey, toots!” Angel said between coughing up blood. “How’s it goin’?”  
Vaggie didn’t respond, but her frightened face said more than enough.  
Alastor snapped his fingers causing his familiars to throw Angel against the wall making him grunt in pain.  
“Argh!” Angel cried out with a condescending smirk. “Is that all ya got? Is that all ya got, Alastor? And, I thought you were going to show me a good time.”  
Alastor responded by snapping his fingers and summoning a gag around Angel’s mouth.   
“What have you done?!” Vaggie angrily yelled pointing her spear into Alastor’s face.   
“Nothing the little bluenose didn’t deserve,” Alastor replied nonchalantly pushing himself onto the floor and leaning his face in front of her.  
“Let us go now, you creepy shitlord!” Vaggie yelled before attempting to stab Alastor in the face.   
Unfortunately, in one fell swoop, Alastor swiped the spear out of Vaggie’s hands, tossed it back to its stand, put both his hands around Vaggie’s face, and leaned in until their faces were practically touching.  
Alastor’s eyes turned yellow as he started singing an old Southern lullaby, “Go to sleep, you little babe. Go to sleep, you little baby. Go to sleep, you little baby. Your mama’s gone away, and your daddy’s gonna stay. Didn’t leave nobody but the baby…”  
Something was wrong. Vaggie started losing the feeling in her fingers and toes. She knew it was Alastor’s magic.   
Vaggie tried shutting her eyes and squirming her head away from his grip, but Alastor used his thumbs to hold open Vaggie’s eyelids and kept singing, “You’re sweet, little babe. You’re sweet, little babe. Honey in the rock and the sugar don’t stop. Gonna bring a bottle to the baby…”  
Angel screamed through his gag. Vaggie lost all the feeling in her limbs until her arms and legs were as stable as spaghetti noodles. She writhed around fruitlessly while fighting the heavy feeling in her eyelids as Alastor sat her down against the wall next to Angel who could only watch.  
Suddenly, two cellar doors on the other side of the room that neither Angel nor Vaggie noticed before flung open and Rosie walked up the stairs.   
Rosie glanced over at Vaggie coldly and complained, “Awww! It looks like I missed most of the fun. I so wanted to get back at her for burning my face.”  
“I know what she did was quite rude,” Alastor said stepping in front of his barely conscious love interest and gesturing towards his other prisoner. “But surely, there’s something I can do to make up for it.”  
Rosie suddenly noticed Angel and squealed in joy, “Oh, Alastor! Is that a new playmate? Can I play with him please? He’s so handsome!”  
“Of course, you can, but be sure you can satisfy him,” Alastor warned her playfully as Angel suggestively wriggled his eyebrows at her in response. “He’s in demand, and he’s in need of relief if you know what I mean…”  
“Oh, of course,” Rosie said attempting to walk past Alastor to pick up her new “toy” before the latter put his staff in front of her.  
“But I need you to do something for me first, if that’s alright,” Alastor said.   
“Oh, I don’t mind,” Rosie replied. “You are giving me such a cute playmate after all. What do you need?”  
Alastor glanced back at his two prisoners and gestured back at Rosie for her to follow him to the other corner of the room where their conversation wouldn’t be heard.  
Not that Vaggie could hear them anyway. Her senses were being dulled by the second, and there was nothing she could do.   
The mouth demon began shaking fearfully until her right hand faintly felt a squeeze. She twisted her head over to look down and saw one of Angel’s bound hands gripping hers. Vaggie looked up to see Angel’s sympathetic eyes looking into hers in a warm, confident, unbroken stare. She could only stare back to show she understood and smiled tiredly as a few tears fell down her cheek. Angel did the same underneath his gag as he began massaging her paralyzed hand with his fingers.  
The moment was broken when Alastor’s foot stomped on Angel’s hand. Vaggie looked up to see Alastor’s angry eyes glare bullets into Angel as he howled painfully into his gag.   
Alastor then knelt down to Angel’s eye level, gripped the collar of Angel’s jacket, pulled him in until their faces were almost touching, and whispered threateningly, “If you wish to live, Dust, you will never touch her like that again.”   
Alastor then picked Angel up and threw him over his shoulder easily as if he were a towel. Before Vaggie knew what was happening, Rosie did the same thing to her.  
“Rosie, not so rough,” Alastor protested placing his arm on Angel’s back to stabilize him. “If that is how you’re going to treat my future wife, I might have to rethink your present.”  
“My apologies, Alastor,” Rosie said readjusting Vaggie so that she was being carried bridal style. “I’ll try to be more careful. Please don’t give my new toy away.”  
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Alastor said merrily stepping onto the first stair going into his basement. “I’ll see you two later.”  
Without another word, Alastor began stepping down his stairs while Angel stared back at Vaggie as reassuringly as he possibly could until they were out of sight. Vaggie stared back until her eyelids finally slid shut as Rosie gently carried her back towards the house.


	5. I May Have Been a Bit Too Forward

Vaggie woke up from her forceful slumber back in the bed where Alastor had placed her the day before. The room was the same except it now had a vanity against one wall and a wardrobe on the other.  
Vaggie sat up confusedly and noticed she was wearing a red, long-sleeved silk nightgown. She was confused until she remembered what had happened the night before.  
Upon that realization, Vaggie looked around the room for any sign of Angel but found nothing. Panic crossed her face as she remembered how Alastor had treated him the night before. Angel was probably in horrible shape and needed…Wait. Was she actually worried about Angel?  
She sighed deeply and caught a whiff of something strange. Vaggie sniffed the air again and smelled the soap. She then smelled her hair and her skin. They both smelled fresh, like she had showered the night before.  
“Did someone bathe me?” Vaggie asked herself confusedly.   
“No need to thank me, dearie,” Rosie replied popping up out of nowhere next to the door causing Vaggie to back up against the wall.   
“Thank you?!” Vaggie exclaimed.  
“You’re welcome,” Rosie said turning on the lights and walking over to the bed.   
Vaggie backed up to the back corner of her bed and eyed Rosie suspiciously as she asked, “Did…? Did you actually bathe me?”  
“Of course, I did, dear,” Rosie replied disgustfully stopping right next to the bed. “I cleaned your teeth and changed you into clean clothes, too. Alastor didn’t want you going to bed all dirty and smelly. But, as you know, he’s too much of a gentleman to see you in nature before you two are properly married, so he asked me to prepare you for bed myself. Isn’t he thoughtful?”  
“Yeah, I’m so fucking grateful,” Vaggie retorted. “Where is Angel?”  
“Oh, don’t worry your pretty little head about him, dearie,” Rosie said dismissively. “He’s just fine. How about you? Are you hungry?”  
“Does it matter?” Vaggie asked suspiciously.   
“So full of questions,” Rosie replied bemusedly. “Alastor has requested your presence for lunch.”  
Vaggie froze for a moment in brief shock. She had been asleep for over 12 hours…  
“Oh, and dearie…” Rosie said crawling on the bed to get Vaggie’s attention until she was close enough to brandish a knife in her face. “That’s not a request. That’s an order.”  
Rosie grabbed Vaggie’s hand, pulled her off the bed, and shoved her in the bathroom.  
“Hey!” Vaggie snapped.   
“Do your business, clean your teeth, wash your face, put on deodorant, and do whatever it is you people do to get yourself looking more presentable,” Rosie ordered. “I’ll be waiting out here to assist you when you finish.”  
Vaggie tried jiggling the handle, but the door would not budge. So reluctantly, she turned around and began getting ready for the day while figuring out a better plan.  
However, Vaggie soon began to realize she was not alone. It began when she flushed the toilet and thought she heard a moan in the room on the other side of the wall. Vaggie paused to listen as much as she could, but she couldn’t hear over the sound of the plumbing.  
Vaggie turned away to finish getting ready while waiting for the noise to die down. She washed her hands, washed her face, brushed her teeth, put on her deodorant, and brushed her hair as slowly as she could.   
Eventually, her patience paid off.   
As Vaggie finished brushing her hair, she heard a weak voice call out to her on the other side of the wall.   
“Vaggie?” the voice loudly whispered. “Vaggie? Are you there?”  
Vaggie froze in surprise as she realized that the tired voice was Angel’s. He was usually so annoyingly energetic, but now, he sounded so exhausted. What had they been doing to him all night?  
“Angel?” Vaggie loudly whispered back while placing her ear against the wall. “Angel? Is that you?”  
“Yeah,” Angel said in relief. “Thank God. Vaggie, we don’t have much time. I can hear her coming back…Oh, no…”  
A door in Angel’s room slammed open and Vaggie could hear Angel struggling against chains.  
“Oh, sweetie,” Rosie’s sickly-sweet voice bled through the wall as she walked briskly to Angel’s bed. “Why are you making so much noise? Do you need to be changed again?”  
“Do you want to change me, doll?” Angel asked playfully.   
“Oh, Angel, you’re so charming, but I can’t let you bother your next-door neighbor,” Rosie replied.  
Vaggie heard Angel struggling against his restraints as Rosie seemed to climb on top of him and gag him.  
“Mmph!” Angel tried yelled through his gag.   
“There, that’s better,” Rosie said happily exiting the room. “I’ll play with you later, handsome.”  
Angel continued thrashing around fruitlessly as Vaggie quickly realized where she was going.   
The moth demon turned around just in time to see Rosie to fling open her bathroom door and say, “Alrighty, Vaggie, my dear, let’s finish getting you ready…”  
Vaggie gulped as Rosie stepped closer.  
About an hour later, Rosie was leading a blindfolded Vaggie down to the dining room.   
The moth demon was dressed in a light pink tea dress and slightly high heels. Her hair was French-braided and tied at the end with the ribbon that was previously her bow. The only other original part of her outfit was her eye patch.   
Vaggie grumbled under her breath. The dress and shoes were old enough to belong to her great-grandmother. The whole ensemble made her feel like a doll.   
“Are we there yet?” Vaggie complained trying to remove her blindfold. “How big is this damn house anyway?”  
Rosie slapped her hand away and replied, “Impatient, are we, my little hoyden?”  
“Hardly,” Vaggie snapped. “I don’t want to see Alastor. I want to see Angel!”  
“I told you, dearie,” Rosie said suddenly stopping. “You can see your friend after you dine with your future husband…”  
“He is not my fucking husband!” Vaggie yelled back as she heard Rosie open a door. “You hear me? Alastor is not and will never be my husband!”  
Rosie untied the blindfold from around Vaggie’s eyes to reveal a large dining room with a table filled with Southern comfort food, large windows overlooking the woods, and Alastor sitting at the other end of the table.  
“Good afternoon, Vaggie, my dear,” Alastor said cheerfully. “Did you sleep well? You may leave now, Rosie.”  
Rosie pushed Vaggie into the room, winked at her friend, and quickly shut the door.  
“Come, Vaggie,” Alastor said gesturing towards the chair on the opposite side of the table. “You must be starving. You’ve been sleeping for the better part of the last few days after all. But I must warn you not to try anything foolish…”  
Out of nowhere, Alastor’s deer familiars made their presence known on the walls.  
Vaggie sighed deeply and reluctantly made her way to her chair. She sat down in her seat and glared at Alastor for a few moments until her stomach growled.  
“Oh, dear, you need to eat,” Alastor said. “Don’t worry about getting up. I’ll take care of it.”  
Alastor snapped his fingers and instantly Vaggie’s plate was filled with food and a glass of water showed up out of nowhere.  
Vaggie didn’t want to eat the food, but her hunger got the better of her and she dug into the collards and country- fried steak. Meanwhile, Alastor ate food from his own plate only occasionally looking up to see how Vaggie was doing. In no time at all, Vaggie had cleaned her plate and was downing her glass of water.  
When Vaggie finally set her glass down, a pitcher of water instantly came and filled it up again. She looked up to see Alastor grinning from ear to ear.   
“My, my, someone was hungry,” Alastor chimed happily. “Do you have room for dessert?”  
A slice of chocolate cake instantly appeared on Vaggie’s plate from the cake on the table.  
“Eat up,” Alastor said. “And don’t worry, dear. There’s plenty more where that came from.”  
Vaggie looked at him suspiciously and finally spoke her mind.  
“Alright, shitlord,” Vaggie said before plunging her fork into her chocolate cake. “What do you want?”  
“What are you talking about, darling?” Alastor asked confusedly. “I only want your company.”  
“Yeah, sure,” Vaggie said rolling her eyes. “What do you really want?”  
Alastor’s expression twisted in confusion while Vaggie took a bite of cake as he said, “Vaggie, I’m not sure I know what you mean.”  
Vaggie sipped some water, rose an eyebrow, and said, “Cut the crap. What do you really want? I've been here long enough to know what there is to know about you. I know you never show interest in anyone or anything unless you're getting something out of it. So, what do you want? Why are you keeping me and Angel here?”  
Alastor’s face looked shocked as he replied, “You don't believe that I have finally felt the call to romance? Why not? I'd think you'd be honored. I could theoretically have any demoness I desired.”  
Vaggie swallowed the piece of cake she was chewing on, rolled her eyes, and said, “Gee, never heard that one before.”  
“What do you mean?” Alastor asked leaning forward on the table in amusement.  
Vaggie finished her sip of water, slammed the glass back on the table, and said, “I was a prostitute. I'm used to old, rich guys hitting on me. I hated all of them, too. They were just vapid, insecure old men who wanted someone young and pretty to give them attention. I could understand if one of the other kingpins hit on me, but you're not those guys. You don't need that type of attention to stroke your ego...”  
“I am significantly older than any of them,” Alastor interrupted.   
“Yeah, you could be my great-grandfather,” Vaggie retorted.  
“I hope that isn't what's repulsing you,” Alastor said before taking a sip of his own water. “We're both dead, darling. Age is irrelevant now. Charlie is older than I am…”  
“You’re nothing like Charlie…” Vaggie said standing up in front of her seat.   
“What are you saying?” Alastor said acting offended.   
“I know you don't really care about me,” Vaggie said glaring bullets into him. “There's something else you want. What is it?”  
Alastor’s face fell in absolute shock. It was an unusual expression for a face that was so used to smiling.  
“I'm shocked,” Alastor said dramatically leaning backwards. “You don't think I love you?! How can you accuse me so?”  
“I’m not an idiot,” Vaggie said narrowing her eye. “Besides, if you did, you would have proved it already.”  
When Alastor didn’t respond, Vaggie took it as a victory. She sat back down and continued eating her cake and drinking her water in a silence that Vaggie welcomed.   
Alastor sat there staring at his plate in contemplation. He didn’t even lift his head when Vaggie stood up.  
“The meal was nice, but now, Angel and I must be leaving,” Vaggie said quietly. “I’d say it has been fun, but that would be a lie.”  
Vaggie quickly but quietly walked away from the table and looked back, but Alastor still wasn’t looking up. By the time she had reached the door, Vaggie had begun to think she could possibly escape unscathed.   
Unfortunately, when Vaggie reached for the door, she felt herself being turned around and held in a tight embrace. It was Alastor looking both more determined and more unsure than Vaggie had ever seen him in the time they knew each other.  
“Alastor, what are you…?” Vaggie started to ask before Alastor put a finger on her lips to silence her, put one hand on her back and another one her head, leaned in, and locked his lips with hers.   
Vaggie froze in absolute terror as Alastor made out with her. She tried pulling her head away, but he swiftly, picked her up, telekinetically cleared some place on the table, sat her on top of it, and continued his kissing while holding her hands.   
When Vaggie tried to pull away again, Alastor only laid her down on the table, climbed on top of her, and moved on to sucking her neck while using his hands to hold her head in place.  
Vaggie felt a chill run through her as she realized just how obsessed Alastor was with her. This situation was worse than she thought. She started feeling around for something she could use to get Alastor off her.  
Vaggie let out an involuntary whimper as Alastor took a break from his kissing and said with his face no more than an inch away from hers, “Women are made to bear, and so are you. Do you believe me now, Vaggie? You should. I may be no expert on lovemaking, but I do believe that hickeys are a man’s way of marking what is his…”  
Vaggie’s wandering hand finally found just what it was looking for.  
“If that’s the case,” Alastor said nuzzling his face against hers like a deer. “You’re all mine…”  
Vaggie took the opportunity to plunge the steak knife she was wielding straight into Alastor’s skull. The Radio Demon was immediately visually disoriented. He backed off Vaggie and into the chair she was sitting in knocking the chair over and tripping backwards over it.  
Vaggie took this opportunity to jump off the table and dash out of the room.  
As soon as she left, Alastor pulled the knife out of his head, rubbed his healing head, and said to himself, “Oh, dear. I may have been a bit too forward…”


	6. Taming of the Shrew

Vaggie immediately tossed the shoes to the side and began running through the house as quickly as she could. She bolted up the stairs and only allowed herself to catch her breath when she was back on the floor that she remembered her bedroom being on.  
As Vaggie leaned against the blood red wall, her eyes settled on a mirror on the wall across from where she was standing. In the mirror, Vaggie could see the bruises on her neck. They didn’t camouflage into her purple skin at all. The spots were dark red, fresh, and plain to see.   
A shudder ran through Vaggie’s spine. Alastor was no genius at romance, but he was right about hickeys. They were a way to mark territory.   
Vaggie covered them with her hands fearfully as she remembered her “patrons” back in El Salvador and what they did when they started getting possessive.  
Vaggie felt a fearful tear run down her cheek before she took a deep breath to give herself strength. She would not be a rich man’s property. Not again…  
“I don’t care how obsessed you are with me,” Vaggie said turning away from the mirror and wandering around her room searching for Angel as she briefly reflected on Alastor’s behavior.  
It was beyond creepy, especially that line, “Women are made to bear and so are you…”  
Vaggie shook her head and forced herself to focus on the task at head. What happened happened, but Angel still needed her help.  
Vaggie crept the hallway quietly listening for any sign of Angel.  
“Alright, if I were a freaky, sex-crazed Mary Poppins, where would I hide my victims?” Vaggie questioned out loud.  
Suddenly, Vaggie heard the sound of Angel’s screams coming from just ahead of her.  
“AHHHHHHHH!” Angel screamed out in agony before he laughed painfully. “Oh, baby! More! More!”  
His voice caused Vaggie to shudder fearfully in her tracks as she finally found the room, twisted the knob open, and peaked inside.  
Vaggie held her hands over her mouth to cover her horrified gasp.   
Angel was chained on a rack with his back exposed, his arms chained up, and his legs held in restraints. The poor spider demon had scars on his back from the leather whip Rosie was holding in her hands.  
In a flash, Rosie lashed her whip against Angel’s bare back again causing the spider demon to scream out in agony.  
Rosie turned the wheeled contraption Angel was strapped to around, wrapped her leather-covered leg around his waist, pushed her chest against his, and asked, “Are you sure about that, sweetie?”  
“I can take anything you can dish out, lady,” Angel said before his eyes locked with Vaggie’s.   
Angel’s eyes flashed in panic as Rosie’s wrinkled lips locked with his.  
Then Angel said, “Lady, please, this is torture…”  
“Oh?” Rosie asked licking Angel’s cheeks.   
“Yeah,” Angel answered with a smirk. “You pressing your sweaty, saggy tits against my bruised chest really stings!”  
Rosie then kicked Angel in the chest, spun him around, and began whipping him more viciously than before.  
It suddenly occurred to Vaggie that Angel said this on purpose so that Rosie would be distracted. She quickly glanced around the room for anything she could use as a distraction.   
Vaggie’s eyes settled on a vase on a table down the hall holding more of those blood red flowers.   
The vase gave her an idea. It was a bad one, but bad ideas were better than no ideas at all at this point. So, Vaggie pulled out a spare knife she had hidden on her person and tossed it at the vase causing it to shatter on contact.   
Vaggie then backed herself against the wall and held her breath as she heard Rosie stop her whipping and run into the hall.   
When she dared to look at her, she had to keep herself from gagging. Rosie was dressed in a leather dominatrix outfit with absurdly high stripper heels.   
“Oh, Vaggie…” Rosie called out upon noticing the broken vase. “You silly, silly little girl. You should know better than to interrupt my playtime…”  
In a flash, Rosie dashed right down the hall and disappeared out of sight.   
When she vanished, Vaggie breathed a sigh of relief and ran back into the room to see Angel panting in exhaustion.  
Vaggie quickly shut the door and said, “Angel…?”  
“Is she gone?” Angel quickly interrupted.   
“Yes, I think so,” Vaggie said quietly.  
“Oh, thank God,” Angel said breathing a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad you’re here.”  
“Shhh…” Vaggie said running over to the other side of the rack to look Angel in the eye. “I’ll get you down, but you have to be quiet. You got it? How do I get you down from there?”  
“The keys are on that table,” Angel said gesturing with his head to a bedside table with a lamp and a book on it.   
Vaggie quickly grabbed the keys and began releasing all of Angel’s limbs from the rack. When she was done, Angel fell forward on the ground tiredly.  
“Angel, are you alright?” Vaggie asked fearful that Angel was injured. “Can you walk?”  
“Yeah, babe,” Angel said with a smile as he reabsorbed his extra pair of arms and got to his feet while putting on his coat that was lying on the floor. “How about you? I see those hickeys. Alastor must be a rougher lover than I imagined. I’m jealous.”  
“It was completely nonconsensual. I assure you,” Vaggie said angrily as she began pushing the contraption towards the door to block it. “Now, we need to get out of here before…”  
“There you are!” the merry British demon’s voice called out as she stopped the contraption where it stood. “What are you doing here, Vaggie? Did you want to play, too? Angel and I could always use another partner…”  
Vaggie pushed back against Rosie’s grip before she felt Angel grabbing her arm and pulling her back behind him just as Rosie rolled the contraption across the room to get a better look at her captives.  
Angel stepped in front of Vaggie as he summoned his tommy gun and his bat.   
Vaggie looked around for a weapon and only found the book and the lamp, so she grabbed the lamp off the table with one hand and grabbed the book to use as a shield.  
“Oh, dear,” Rosie said with an amused smile. “Do you two intend to fight back? How adorable. I love it when I can get down and dirty!”  
“Bring it on, you dominatrix bitch!” Vaggie spat back.   
Angel stuck his tongue out and said lewdly, “I’m gonna screw you like you screwed me, ya crazy bitch. I hope you’re ready.”  
“I think I just threw up in my mouth a little,” Vaggie said out loud.   
“Make your way to the window,” Angel muttered to Vaggie gesturing his head back towards the window. “And prepare to jump…”  
“Got it,” Vaggie replied with a nod.  
“Oh, I am so defenseless,” Rosie retorted sarcastically putting one hand on her hip and twiddling her fingers against her face with the other hand. “What’s a little old lady to do?”  
Then with a snap of her fingers, Rosie summoned her umbrella and six penguin familiars and said, “Ladies, how about you show these brutes some manners?”  
“Bring it, bitch!” Angel yelled back as Vaggie threw open the window. “Vaggie, grab on!”  
Vaggie dropped her lamp and grabbed onto Angel’s side as he dissolved his bat and picked her up with his extra arms, but unfortunately before Angel and Vaggie could jump out the window, the window slammed in their face.  
“Enough!” Alastor’s voice suddenly rang out.   
The three demons and penguin villains turned to look at Alastor who suddenly appeared on the other side of the room.   
“I believe we can settle this dispute in a more civilized manner,” Alastor said stepping between the two warring parties. “That is, if you two are willing to cooperate…”  
Angel reflexively held Vaggie tighter against his side and took another step backwards as Alastor continued, “How about this? Vaggie, if you stay with me, I will let this hairy mess go. Then as long as you are obedient and loving, I will let you visit the Hotel once a month. What do you say, dear?”  
Vaggie knew she didn’t have a choice. Angel couldn’t stay there. He had already suffered enough. If Vaggie said no, Angel would spend the rest of eternity as Rosie’s sex slave. Not even he deserved that.  
“I’ll…” Vaggie began before she felt a hand cover her mouth.  
“Hold it right there, bucko,” Angel interrupted as he pointed his gun straight at Alastor. “You have to be fuckin’ insane to think that I’m goin’ to just leave and let you pound Vaggie like a goddamn piece of meat. I ain’t leavin’ without her. And if that means I have to claw my way outta here with her, so be it.”  
Alastor’s eyes twitched for a brief second before he flashed a cruel smile, snapped his fingers causing Angel’s gun to disappear and Vaggie’s lamp to disappear, and said, “Suit yourself then.”  
Before either Angel or Vaggie had time to react, Alastor tapped his staff on the ground and instantly teleported everyone present into a dark, cool dungeon room.   
The cell was built completely out of gray stone. It was oddly spacious and horizontally long, able to hold the four demons comfortably, and that was about the best thing about it.   
There was a toilet and a sink with a mirror on the back wall on one end of the cell to their right, a single bed with a bare mattress and pillow on the other end of the cell to the left, and chains hanging on the bare wall between them.   
The only light sources were a lightbulb with a pull-string hanging from the ceiling and a small, horizontal window about the size of a two-by-four board above the bed where the light met the ceiling.   
Iron prison bars made up the fourth wall. Their cold, menacing, vertical poles were spaced evenly and only interrupted by an iron bar door on the very right which at the moment was hanging open with a black key hanging in the lock of the door much like it would be in jail cells from the 1930’s.  
Vaggie and Angel looked around fearfully at their new surroundings. The cell was oddly clean, but there were still faint blood stains on the walls where the chains were. That was enough to make Vaggie let out an involuntary gasp.  
“You know, Alastor…” Rosie began interrupting the thoughts of the two frightened prisoners practically backed up against the wall as she dismissed her minions and leaned back against the prison bars. “Vaggie hasn’t had a chance to answer the question herself.”  
“Hmmmmm…you’re right, Rosie,” Alastor replied with a smile glancing back at her before returning his gaze back to Vaggie. “So, what is your answer, Vaggie? If you stay here with me willfully, I will let Angel go, but if you refuse, he will stay and you two will both be at our disposal. So, tell me. What will it be?”  
Vaggie squirmed until Angel finally dropped her on the floor and then slowly walked up to Alastor looking him in the eye as much as her smaller frame would allow.  
“Vaggie…” Angel tried to complain.  
Vaggie held her hand up to tell Angel to be quiet and said boldly, “Alastor, I promise to spend every day for the rest of my eternal life fighting for my freedom. I will never give in to you!”  
Alastor’s eyes narrowed as he said, “Well, then. As punishment for your defiant behavior and your trespassing, you two can spend the night in this cell…”  
Alastor, Rosie, and Rosie’s minions instantly teleported outside the cell.   
Alastor quickly locked the door, took the key, and continued, “Rosie and I will come for you in the morning, Vaggie. Have a good night, you two!”  
The Radio Demon quickly right down the hallway out of sight. Rosie stood there for a second quietly flashing a cruel smile as her familiars disappeared before finally following behind her friend.  
Vaggie stood in place tensely as Angel laid himself out over the bed and stretched out his limbs.  
“Well, looks like you and I are spending the night here, Vaggie,” Angel said nonchalantly folding his arms behind his head on top of the pillow.   
Vaggie didn’t respond but continued staring at the hallway in front of their cell.  
A look of concern flashed through Angel’s eyes before he said, “Hey, doll? Vaggie? Are ya there?”  
Vaggie finally looked over to Angel.  
The spider demon tapped the old mattress and said, “What do you wanna do, doll, the day is still young?”  
Vaggie tiredly sat on the bed next to him holding the book on top of her lap and sighed. She glanced over to Angel and cringed when she noticed him staring at her with a smirk.  
“Why are you staring at me like that?” Vaggie demanded.   
“You still owe me,” Angel said playfully.  
Vaggie looked at Angel in confusion until she finally had her revelation.  
“Oh, my God,” Vaggie said in growing annoyance.  
“What?” Angel asked playfully.  
“You only stayed here because I owed you?!” Vaggie yelled.  
Angel sighed with a playful smirk that got on Vaggie’s nerves and said, “It beats the therapy sessions back home. Besides, this was too good an opportunity to pass up, babe.”  
Vaggie took a deep breath to calm down and conceded, “Okay, fine. What the hell do you want?”  
“Just give me a moment to…” Angel said nonchalantly allowing himself to wonder before he got his idea. “Wait. I know just the thing!”  
Angel sat up, threw off his coat to reveal his bare chest, posed dramatically, and said, “I want you to snuggle between my fluffy tits!”  
“WHAT?!” Vaggie asked incredulously. “You can’t be serious!”  
“I’m completely serious,” Angel said playfully running his gloved hands through his chest fluff. “My skin under my fur gets cold. I need warmth. Think of it as my way of saying thanks. I don’t let anyone do it for free. My customers say it’s like heaven in here.”  
“Forget it,” Vaggie said in annoyance putting the book at the head of the bed next to Angel’s pillow and laying down so that she was not facing him. “I’ll just use the book. I’m not resting my head on your STD-contaminated fur.”  
“Hey!” Angel retorted. “I’ll have you know that I wash it every day. But if that’s how you feel, babe, suit yourself.”  
Vaggie laid down for a few minutes but very quickly got uncomfortable. She turned over and stared at Angel’s chest longingly. His fluff looked so soft and silky…  
“Like what ya see, hon?” Angel teased.  
“Fine,” Vaggie snarled as she reluctantly sat up and climbed on top of Angel’s chest. “But this never happened. Understand?”  
“Whatever you say, hon,” Angel retorted playfully as Vaggie slowly lowered her head onto Angel’s fluffy chest.   
Vaggie lowered herself gingerly as if she were getting used to hot water in a bathtub.  
Angel rolled his eyes and used his lower pair of arms to push Vaggie’s head on top of his chest.   
“Angel?!” Vaggie yelled in protest before her head sank into the chest fluff. “Oh, my God. This is so soft…It feels like cashmere…”  
Angel chuckled as his lower arms pulled his coat over Vaggie and himself to keep them warm.  
“That’s it, doll,” Angel said soothingly as his arms rested on Vaggie’s back. “Just relax. We both need this.”  
Vaggie tensed up again as she began to realize the gravity of the situation that they were in.   
Vaggie began shuddering fearfully and taking shallow breaths, but before it could get any worse, Angel started rubbing her back. He didn’t say or do anything else. He just rubbed her back until her breathing finally returned to normal.  
Angel then took a deep breath and picked up the book next to his head.   
“What’s this?” Angel said before he read the title. “The Taming of the Shrew? Oh, my God! I haven’t seen this one in decades!”  
Vaggie lifted her head up and scowled.   
“That book again?” Vaggie asked incredulously. “Dammit. Alastor tossed me that fucking book yesterday to entertain myself while he ran off to talk to Rosie. The nerve of that guy. What’s that book about anyway?”  
“It ain’t a book, doll,” Angel replied excitedly turning open to the first page. “It’s a Shakespeare play. We read it in school. Oh, God, this one was one of my favorites! It’s been forever. Want me to read it to ya?”  
“We still have daylight and we’re gonna be stuck in here until tomorrow morning, so why not?” Vaggie conceded.  
“Alright,” Angel said excitedly. “I’ll try to explain all the stuff that’s kinda confusin’, but just let me know if you’re having trouble followin’ along.”  
Vaggie smiled and relaxed into Angel’s fluff as he began reading the story.


	7. Chapter 7

In the morning, Vaggie was still sleeping on top of Angel’s bosom covered by his coat when Alastor showed up.  
Alastor glowered down at Angel Dust and growled before relaxing into a sigh.  
They had only one bed. It was unavoidable. At least, Vaggie was still wearing her dress from the day before and there was no sign of intercourse. Angel had some sense at least.  
“Oh, Vaggie, sweetheart,” Alastor sang into the cell. “It’s morning! And do I have a surprise for you!”  
Vaggie groaned in irritation as she rolled over on Angel’s chest, sat up, and looked at Alastor. Her eyes instantly grew as large as a saucer.  
Alastor was dressed in traditional male clothing from El Salvador. White collared shirt. White pants. Red ascot. Everything.  
“What the hell are you wearing?” Vaggie asked.  
“Why, clothes one wears when he and his beloved are going on a date together,” Alastor happily replied.   
“Vaggie, what’s going on?” Angel said sitting up and rubbing his eyes before he noticed Alastor’s outfit. “Oh, dear God! Someone's looking hot today, handsome."  
“More like racist,” Vaggie complained.  
Alastor laughed merrily and said, “Oh, Vaggie, I’m simply appealing to your delightful culture from El Salvador.”  
Vaggie felt the bile rise in the back of her throat as Alastor unlocked the cell door.  
Alastor opened the cell door and said, “Come along, Vaggie. We need to get you cleaned up.”  
Vaggie glared at Alastor as she stood up keeping Angel’s coat wrapped around her as she gingerly walked towards the open cell door.  
Angel stood up behind her, but Alastor said, “Oh, no, Angel. You will be staying here until I host my auction at the end of the week.”  
“What do you mean by ‘auction?’” Vaggie asked pausing in front of the doorway.  
“All will be explained during our date today, my darling,” Alastor said beckoning her with one hand to leave the cell.  
“Let me guess,” Angel said with a smirk. “I’m the main ticket item, right?”  
Alastor chuckled out loud and said, “Such a clever boy.”  
Vaggie’s eyes flashed in fear for a second before she walked up to Alastor and yelled, “What the fuck is wrong with you?! How could you do that?! Angel’s not a slave!”  
Then without a word, Alastor grabbed Angel’s coat and threw it back to the spider demon before coming up with a response.  
“No,” Alastor said nonchalantly. “But he is an annoying pest who should have minded his own business.”  
Vaggie only continued to glare.  
“Still,” Alastor said pulling Vaggie out of the doorway and locking the cell door behind her. “I could mitigate the sentence if you tell me who told you where I lived.”  
Angel gasped in sarcastic shock and said, “What? You don't think I'm smart enough to get here on my own? I've been dead for 73 years, Alastor. I haven't survived this long by being stupid.”  
“I find that doubtful,” Alastor said. “You said that you never got involved in politics and politics involve knowing where one lives and visits.”  
Angel scoffed as he got up, walked to the bars of his cell, posed himself sensually against him, and said, “Doesn’t mean I don’t know how to find information when I want to, handsome. You forget that I was the firstborn son of a mafia don. I’m also a first-class slut who knows how to make men talk.”  
Alastor and Angel stared each other down for a minute, each seeing if the other would crack.  
That was until Rosie entered the hallway.  
“Vaggie, dear, you must get dressed for the day,” Rosie said taking Vaggie’s arm.   
Vaggie looked back at Angel who nodded to give her affirmation before she and Rosie started walking away.  
“Oh, Vaggie, we must get you bathed immediately,” Rosie said. “That smell is just awful. We’ll see you soon, Alastor.”  
Alastor nodded to Rosie and turned back to see Angel silently smirking.  
“You gonna say something, stag? Or shall we just keep gazing into each other’s eyes?” Angel asked.  
“Nothing too much,” Alastor replied with a proud smirk. “Other than your family will love to see you again.”  
Angel's eyes flashed in a panic for a second, but by the time he gained his composure, Alastor had already walked away.


	8. Because I Hate You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor Alastor is so desperate.

Meanwhile, Rosie had Vaggie bathed and cleaned up before she brought her to meet Alastor in one of his ballrooms wearing a traditional El Salvadoran blue and white dress, sandals, and a traditional braid tied with her pink ribbon.  
Vaggie examined the room once Rosie left her side. It was a large room that looked like an old jazz club. The stage was surrounded by long red curtains. There was a dance floor. There were tables surrounding the stage. All of it was tinted in red and black.  
Suddenly, Vaggie's nose caught a familiar smell. It smelled like the breakfast her mother used to make, but it couldn't be. Could it?  
Vaggie followed her nose until she spotted the table next to the stage with plates of pupusas, tomato salsa, ensalada drinks, plantains, and a pitcher of horchata with glasses to serve the drinks in along with all the right silverware and napkins that matched the room's decor.  
Vaggie couldn't believe her eyes. She almost wanted to cry.  
“Come over and have some breakfast, Vaggie darling,” Rosie said from her seat at the table.  
“Oh, Rosie, you don’t need to stay,” Alastor said from his spot at the table. “I know how eager you've been to play with your new toy again…”  
“Oh, thank you, Alastor,” Rosie said before bolting out of her chair and dashing out of the room before Vaggie even had time to blink.  
Vaggie took her seat and didn’t waste any time.   
“What the hell are you planning for Angel?!” Vaggie asked angrily.  
“I only intend to give him to the highest bidder,” Alastor said. “I don't want to keep him around.”  
“What?!” Vaggie asked incredulously.  
“He’ll only ruin the fun,” Alastor said dismissively. “But no more talk of that now. Go on. Eat.”  
Vaggie glared at Alastor for a moment before reluctantly picking up her fork.   
Alastor stared at Vaggie contentedly as she took her first bite of plaintains.  
Vaggie swallowed her bite and paused in wonder.   
The food tasted just the way her mother used to make it down to the spices and texture.  
Vaggie eyed Alastor suspiciously and asked, “How did you do this?”  
“I asked my chefs to look into El Salvadoran cooking,” Alastor responded nonchalantly.  
“I see,” Vaggie replied.   
“How do you like it?” Alastor asked.   
“It’s passable,” Vaggie said coldly.   
“Passable?!” Alastor exclaimed dramatically leaning backwards in his chair. “Oh, my love, why must you be so cold to me?!”  
“Because I hate you,” Vaggie replied before going back to eating her food.  
Alastor shrank back in shock and picked up his staff. He stood up at his seat and suddenly had a spotlight shining on him out of nowhere.  
“Oh, woe is me!” Alastor exclaimed. “Woe is me! What can a man do when the woman he loves holds him in such utter contempt?”  
“Let her go?” Vaggie suggested.   
“Alas,” Alastor replied. “That is no option.”  
Vaggie rolled her eyes as the lights dimmed and Alastor hopped on stage.   
“I’ll just have to keep serenading you,” Alastor said. “Want to come on stage and sing and dance with me?”  
“No,” Vaggie replied.   
“Then let me perform for you,” Alastor said as an old-fashioned microphone with its stand came up through the stage.   
Alastor stomped his staff on the ground, and his familiars emerged with instruments to perform the overture of an old-timey jazz ballad.  
When the overture was over, Alastor sang, “I've been running in circles while playing a game of pretending, I didn't realize I was wise, what love could do; Now I'm facing a future that hasn't that one happy ending, And I'm a fool, I guess, to confess it all to you. I never knew I could love anybody, Honey, like I'm lovin' you. I didn't realize What a pair of eyes and a baby smile could do. I can't sleep, I can't eat, I never knew a single soul could be so sweet, For I never knew I could love anybody, Honey, like I'm lovin' you!”  
Vaggie rolled her eyes at Alastor’s song as a group of tapdancing familiars came up behind Alastor. He began tap dancing with them to a loud jazz ensemble much to Vaggie’s chagrin.  
Alastor was completely absorbed in his dancing, so much so that Vaggie realized he wasn’t paying any attention to her.  
Vaggie took the opportunity to pile her plate high with food and silently make her way back to the basement where Angel was sitting on his bed alone in his cell.  
“Vaggie?!” Angel asked as she sat down on the ground and laid the plate of food in front of her. “How’d you get back here? Where’s Alastor?”  
“Alastor is singing a musical number to try and win my affection,” Vaggie said clearly showing her displeasure through her voice.   
Angel cackled and said, “Oh, God. He’s such a ham!”  
Angel then winced in pain. That wasn’t lost on Vaggie.   
“What happened?” Vaggie asked. “What did Rosie do to you? Where is she?”  
Angel got off the bed and sat down in front of the bars before responding, “Ah, she didn’t do much to me. I’m fine.”  
“I brought you food,” Vaggie said gesturing to the plate.  
“Thanks, babe,” Angel said before he began stuffing his face.  
“Where did Rosie go?” Vaggie asked again. “I need to know how much time I have to bust you out.”  
“She went to powder her nose,” Angel said before swallowing his food. “But you know that won’t work. Alastor’s too good at what he does.”  
“What choice do I have?” Vaggie asked while Angel continued eating. “I’m not going to be his wife. I don’t know what else to do.”  
Angel paused from his eating and said, “You could just do what he says.”  
“What?” Vaggie asked incredulously.  
“I mean pretend to go along with what he says,” Angel replied.   
Vaggie suddenly understood.   
She smirked and said, “Oh, I get it. Then wait for an opportunity to escape.”   
“Exactly,” Angel said taking another bite of food.   
Vaggie’s smile disappeared.   
“But I have to pretend to like Alastor,” Vaggie said sadly. “I don’t know if I can suck up to him. He disgusts me.”  
“Of course, you can,” Angel said. “You know how I know? You were a slut just like me. And if there’s anything a slut knows, it’s how to keep a man biting for more.”  
Vaggie snorted out loud in laughter.   
Angel smiled and scarfed down the rest of the food.   
“What about you?” Vaggie finally asked.   
“Babe, I’ve survived much worse than this,” Angel said. “I’ll be fine. He ain’t interested in me. The one he’s after is you. Don’t worry about me.”  
Vaggie smiled warmly and said, “So, you really did come just to save me. I never knew you cared that much.”  
“What can I say, Vaggie? I couldn’t let you have all this fun by yourself,” Angel said with a wink.   
Vaggie crawled closer to the bars, reached her arms through them, and gave Angel a hug.   
Angel hugged her back with his four arms.  
“Go get him, moth,” Angel said. “Try to get him to go out in public if you can. Okay?”  
“Okay,” Vaggie said slowly nodding as she let Angel go, picked up the plate, and stood up.  
Then without another word, Vaggie turned around and headed back to the jazz club lounge.


	9. Just Let Me Change

Vaggie finally entered the jazz lounge just as Alastor was finishing his musical number.   
Surrounded by jazz music on all sides, she gingerly made her way back to the table, placed the plate on the table, sat back in her chair, and waited for the number to end.  
When the number finally ended, Vaggie took a deep breath and clapped her hands.  
Alastor smiled as his familiars disappeared and he hopped off the stage to walk over to his love.  
“Vaggie, my love, did you like it?” Alastor said as he made it back to his chair.   
Vaggie felt bile rising in her throat again, but she knew she had to keep it together. If not for herself, for Angel.  
Vaggie made herself swallow her pride and reply, “It was…fine.”  
“Fine?!” Alastor asked. “Just fine?!”  
“It was fine for me,” Vaggie reassured searching for a better answer. “But it’s not as showy as you usually perform.”  
“Oh,” Alastor said leaning forward on his cane with a big smile. “Is there any way I could improve it for you, sweetie?”  
“Maybe you could make it bigger and louder,” Vaggie said more confidently.  
“I’ll keep that in mind, dearie,” Alastor said. “Would you like for me to perform again?”  
Vaggie smiled. Alastor was playing right into her hand. This would be easier than she thought.  
“Actually, I was wondering if we could go out for a day on the town,” Vaggie said nervously.   
“Huh?” Alastor asked blinking in surprise.   
“I don’t like being cooped up all the time,” Vaggie said with a cute pout. “I want to be taken out for a day on the town if that’s alright with you. That’s the kind of date I prefer.”  
Alastor chuckled and said, “Really.”  
“Yes,” Vaggie pleaded. “On dates, I enjoy going out and seeing something I've never seen before.”  
“Well then, would you like to visit where I work?” Alastor said standing up and strolling over next to Vaggie. “I have a little bit of work to do there anyhow.”  
Vaggie sighed coyly and said, “Sure.”  
Alastor struggled to contain his excitement.  
“Oh, Vaggie, my dear, you don’t know how happy that makes me!” Alastor exclaimed as he pulled Vaggie out of her chair and into his warm embrace that she made herself accept. “Of course, I’ll take you…”  
Vaggie smiled until Alastor plunged his hand in his pocket and continued, “But I have one condition. I need you to wear this ring. It’s a magical tracking device that lets me know where you are at all times so I can keep you safe.”  
Vaggie looked closely at the ring with odd symbols engraved onto it and sighed.  
“Fine,” she said holding up her hand while Alastor slid it onto her ring finger.  
“There you go, dearie,” Alastor said with a smile in his voice and on his face. “Now, just let me change for work and we’ll be on our way.”  
Alastor snapped his fingers instantly changing his clothes back to his normal attire.   
“Alrighty, let’s go, dear,” Alastor said taking Vaggie’s arm in his.  
After informing Rosie of their departure, Alastor and Vaggie walked to the limo waiting out front. The car was long, black, and classy, straight out of the 1930’s.   
Alastor opened the door allowing Vaggie to climb in first before he climbed in behind her holding her close as the limo drove away from the manor.


	10. Could You Wait Out Front?

When the car started moving, Alastor began speaking about his radio station.  
“I know you’ll love it, Vaggie,” Alastor beamed while rubbing Vaggie’s waist. “It’s where I usually spend most of my days informing all of Hell of my accomplishments and feats.”  
“Have you told all of Hell about me yet?” Vaggie asked reluctantly letting Alastor hold her against his side.   
“That’s what we’re about to do, dear,” Alastor replied. “Aren’t you excited?”  
“Ecstatic,” Vaggie said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.   
For the rest of the car ride, Vaggie was silent while Alastor chatted merrily about his station.  
When the limo finally pulled up to the station, Vaggie’s jaw dropped wide open.  
It was a massive building with telegraph wires and towers strewn all over. The building was designed and built to look like a radio station from the 1930’s, right down to the old fancy lettering.  
Alastor chuckled at Vaggie’s expression and said, “She’s beautiful. Isn’t she, dear? She’s been here since 1934, 85 years strong. What do you think?”  
Alastor climbed out of the car waiting for Vaggie to exit and give her response.  
“It’s impressive,” Vaggie said looking out the car door.   
Alastor smiled widely taking Vaggie’s arm and lifting her out of the car before he said, “Just wait till you see the inside.”  
Vaggie followed Alastor into the building and found out that he wasn’t joking.   
Inside the radio station, it was decked out to high heaven with the 1930’s theme and decor, with stylish seats and ham radios everywhere. Everything shined because the entire building was polished and waxed to look absolutely immaculate.  
Vaggie looked around in awe until a little assistant, a short demon seemingly consumed with a black firey mist, ran up to Alastor.  
“Hey, boss!” the assistant called out with a wide smirk revealing shiny white teeth that matched the white orbs that made up his eyes. “Oooh! Who’s the dame? Is she a special guest? More importantly, is she single?”  
“Oswald, this is my soon-to-be wife, Vaggie,” Alastor said Vaggie’s heart to skip a beat immediately.   
Oswald’s face fell in embarrassment as he said, “Oh, sorry, boss. Congratulations.”  
“Wait,” Vaggie said in shock. “We aren’t engaged. I don’t even like you.”  
“Yes, we are,” Alastor replied without missing a beat. “You agreed to it.”  
“No, I didn’t!” Vaggie exclaimed. “When did that happen?!”  
“When you accepted my engagement ring back at the manor,” Alastor said with a devilish smirk.  
Vaggie’s face fell in realization as Oswald snickered in the background.  
“You bastard!” Vaggie yelled. “You tricked me!”  
“Just like how your ancestors were tricked by the Spaniards,” Alastor said arrogantly.  
Vaggie then tried to spring on Alastor to start clawing his face. Alastor merely held Vaggie back with a hand on her forehand and chuckled at her efforts.  
“Damn, boss,” Oswald said bemusedly. “Your dame has a temper. I like her.”  
“Oswald, how many times must I tell you not to swear in the presence of a lady?” Alastor chided without changing his current pose.   
Oswald cleared his throat and said, “Of course. My apologies, boss.”  
Vaggie backed away, stood up as tall as she could, and yelled, “Oh, you two hypocrites can go fuck yourselves!”  
“Hey!” Oswald snarled noticeably cracking his knuckles. “No swearing at the boss, missy! Boss, you want me to deal with her?”  
“No need, Oswald,” Alastor said delivering Vaggie a wicked smirk. “She will be punished once we return home.”  
“Didn’t know you were into BDSM, boss,” Oswald said with a sick smirk of his own. “How kinky...”  
Alastor chuckled out loud and said, “Oh, Oswald, you have a delightfully dirty sense of humor.”  
Meanwhile, Vaggie was paused in a panic. She had to fix this situation. She couldn’t go home yet.   
Vaggie remembered what Angel said before, so reluctantly, she took a deep breath and swallowed her pride.  
“I’m sorry,” Vaggie said as sincerely as she could muster instantly getting Alastor’s attention. “Please forgive me. I was just shocked. That’s all. I’m just not used to moving this fast. Please don’t make me go back. I’m really enjoying getting out of the house with you. I’d hate to cut it short already.”  
Alastor smiled happily and said, “Well, since you apologized, you shall not be punished.”  
Vaggie sighed in relief as Alastor held her to his side.  
“Looks like you found a good one,” Oswald said. “Congratulations again, boss. I’m happy for ya. Are you going to come on air today to announce it?”  
“Yes, indeed,” Alastor said happily.   
“Alright, boss!” Oswald replied turning on his flames and using them to hover in the air. “I’ll go clear the booth.”  
“We’re going on-air?” Vaggie said pulling away from Alastor in surprise.   
“Yes, we are, my darling,” Alastor said excitedly.  
Vaggie paused for a moment. This could be her chance, but how would she use it?  
Alastor held Vaggie in a hug and said, “Oh, darling, don’t be nervous. It’s not hard at all!”  
Realizing Alastor interpreted her silence as nerves, Vaggie said, “It doesn’t sound so easy to me.”  
“Oh, no,” Alastor said. “It’s quite simple. You’ll get it in no time.”  
“I don’t know,” Vaggie said feigning shyness as she pulled away from his grip.   
“No need to be shy, Vaggie!” Alastor said taking her arm in his. “I’ll help you through it.”  
“Okay,” Vaggie said calmly.  
“Good,” Alastor said walking down the hall with his betrothed on his arm. “Now follow me, dear. We’ll make this announcement and be gone in a jiffy.”  
Soon, the duo was in the extravagant radio recording room.  
Vaggie marveled over the old-fashioned radio equipment. It was all so old and so beautiful, but she forced herself to stop looking at it to figure out what to do next.  
Alastor sat Vaggie in her chair in front of a microphone while he and Oswald got everything ready.  
Vaggie sat in the chair and watched everything happening while praying for a solution. All she could think of was to drop hints that Charlie would understand hopefully. If she was sneaky enough, Charlie would hopefully come to her rescue.  
“Alright, Vaggie, my dear,” Alastor said taking his seat. “Are you ready?”  
“As ready as I can be,” Vaggie said sincerely nervous.   
“Oh, good,” Alastor said. “Because we’re on in 3…2…1…Hello, Hell. This is your favorite Radio Demon interrupting your scheduled program for a special announcement. I have someone very special to introduce to you all. Go on, dear. Say hello.”  
“Hello?” Vaggie said startled by the echo in her voice.  
Alastor gave Vaggie an encouraging motion and said, “Go on, my darling. Introduce yourself.”  
“I’m Vaggie,” Vaggie said calmly. “I’m the manager of the Happy Hotel.”  
“And I’m Alastor,” Alastor said cheerfully. “Vaggie’s future husband!”  
“Yeah…as of this morning,” Vaggie said with a nervous chuckle.  
“And we’ve decided to announce it here on the radio waves to let all you fellow listeners know!” Alastor said merrily.  
“Yeah, I’m engaged to this shitlord,” Vaggie said with another nervous chuckle. “I never thought I’d say that. It’s a surprise for me, too. I hope you’re all listening…”  
“We’re pleased to announce that all of Hell is invited to celebrate our wedding!” Alastor interrupted. “That’s right. Every one of you is invited to enjoy our celebration. There will be music, dancing, free food, and free drink with overflow venues extending all over Hell. We promise it shall be quite the spectacle.”  
Vaggie took a deep breath and asked, “Does that mean that Charlie, the Devil’s daughter, can come?”  
“Of course,” Alastor said much to Vaggie’s surprise.   
Vaggie took another chance and asked, “How about Angel Dust?”  
Alastor visibly froze.   
His features contorted as if he was trying to surprise some unbridled rage under the surface, but he quickly composed himself and said, “Only if his new owners agree to it.”  
“Oh, yes,” Vaggie said innocently. “The auction…”  
“Right, that reminds me,” Alastor said returning to his upbeat tone of before. “This Friday evening, I will be hosting an auction in my home. The main ticket item will be the former porn star, Angel Dust. The event is invitation only, so you will know if you’re invited and how to bid on the items ahead of time...”  
Vaggie smiled knowing that Charlie now knew everything if she was listening.  
“The wedding will be held a week after in a special location to be announced later,” Alastor finished.  
“So, that’s how much freedom I have left...” Vaggie muttered to herself.   
“What was that, Vaggie, my love?” Alastor asked.  
“I said that’s a lot of planning for me,” Vaggie lied.  
“Oh, you silly little thing, I’ll do all the work,” Alastor reassured. “You won’t have to lift a finger.”  
“I won’t?” Vaggie asked in genuine surprise.  
“No, I’ve been planning the wedding with one of your more...distant...relatives,” Alastor said.  
Vaggie stiffened, “What?”  
“That was supposed to be a surprise, but we’re meeting him today for lunch,” Alastor said merrily. “Isn’t that just great?”  
“How…wonderful,” Vaggie said stiffly.   
“And with that my dear audience, I now return you to our scheduled programming,” Alastor said as the mics clicked off and the radio returned to playing jazz music.  
Vaggie breathed a sigh of relief as Oswald burst in the door and said, “Hey, boss! Would you accept a bet made in person? That Angel Dust is something else.”  
Alastor turned around in his chair and replied, “Sadly, you must make a high auction price to win Angel Dust.”  
“You pay me pretty well,” Oswald argued. “I can afford it.”  
Alastor looked over to Vaggie and said, “Vaggie, could you go wait out front?”  
Vaggie blinked in surprise but nodded, “Um…okay…” as she got up from her chair and made her way out of the room.  
Before long, Vaggie was sitting back in the lobby back in a chair with a paper cup of water in her hands.  
Vaggie was satisfied for the moment as she drank her water. Now, all of hell knew what Alastor was up to, but she was still trapped with him...or was she?  
Vaggie looked out the front door. No one was really watching the entrance besides the secretary, so if she wanted to take a chance, now was the time.  
Vaggie finished her drink, crumpled her paper cup and tossed it in the garbage can before she rose from her seat and dashed out of the radio station as quickly as her sandals would allow before the secretary had a chance to notice.


	11. Chapter 11

To Vaggie’s surprise, she was able to make a successful break for it.  
Vaggie didn’t know where she was, but she turned right and continued walking briskly down the sidewalk.   
After about half an hour, Vaggie looked up to see someone she had never thought she would see again.  
Charlie was standing in front of her sniffling as she put up a poster on a telephone pole offering a monetary reward for anyone who could bring Vaggie home while Razzle and Dazzle stood beside her.  
Vaggie began crying tears of joy as she ran over to meet her dear friend.  
“Charlie!” Vaggie yelled. “Oh, God. Charlie, over here!”  
Charlie whipped around and said, “Vaggie?” before realizing it was indeed her friend.  
“Vaggie!” Charlie yelled rushing straight into Vaggie’s arms. “Vaggie, I can’t believe it! How did you escape?”  
“I’ll explain everything, but we need to destroy this ring,” Vaggie said anxiously pulling out of the hug and gesturing to her ring. “Alastor can’t find me without it.”  
Charlie quickly examined the ring before using her nails to poke it on both sides and snap it off her finger.  
Vaggie sighed in relief as she used her foot to sweep the pieces into the sewer and said, “Alright, we need to get off the street. Is there anywhere we could hide?”  
Charlie looked around and noticed the building in front of them.  
“Let’s hide in this aquarium,” Charlie said. “It’s huge. We’ll be able to stay out of sight until Alastor gives up looking for you or we come up with a better plan.”  
“Alastor said that we would be meeting my ancestor for lunch somewhere,” Vaggie said warily. “Are you sure we’ll be safe here?”  
“Yes,” Charlie said confidently. “I’ve been here a bunch of times. This aquarium is large enough to avoid Alastor and your ancestor if either of them come wandering in. We’ll be safe here.”  
“If you’re sure,” Vaggie said nervously.  
“Come on,” Charlie said holding Vaggie’s hand. “I’m buying.”  
Vaggie sighed and followed Charlie.   
The pair went into the aquarium quickly and quietly with Charlie’s body guards following behind them.   
This was the first time Vaggie had had an opportunity to visit the aquarium. When she was alive, she was too poor. When she was dead, she was still too poor, so for her, it was a wonderful experience, just what she needed after her past few days.  
The aquarium was larger than any aquarium on earth. Every tank was huge and contained fish from all over the world and from even ancient times.   
Vaggie was amazed.   
Charlie explained to her that Hell cut a deal with Heaven to display a small number of the animals that had passed on the condition that the animals be kept in pristine living conditions. The moment an animal was abused it was taken back. To abuse an animal was a crime punishable by the flames in this aquarium.  
Vaggie sighed. In Hell, the animals were treated better than most of the inhabitants.   
Charlie and Vaggie then found a secluded observatory area and began to talk. It took a while, but Vaggie finally managed to tell Charlie everything.  
At the end of her tale, Vaggie said, “Thank you, Charlie.”  
Charlie looked at her in confusion and said, “What for?”  
“For wanting to find me and taking me here,” Vaggie said leaning her head on Charlie’s shoulder as she stared at the fish in admiration. “I’ve never been to an aquarium before.”  
“That is so sad. I’m sorry I didn’t take you sooner. It’s relaxing. Isn’t it?” Charlie replied before her face frowned in sadness. “Vaggie, I’m so sorry about Alastor. You were right about him all along. I can't believe I didn't notice he was stalking you. I should have been paying more attention.”  
“No, Charlie,” Vaggie said looking her dearest friend in the eyes. “None of this is your fault.”  
Charlie gave her friend a weak smile before they leaned in to give each other another hug.   
Unfortunately, their happiness didn’t last.  
“Oh, how adorable! Two friends seeing each other again…”  
Charlie and Vaggie whipped around to see Alastor standing behind them. Razzle and Dazzle looked at each other and back to Charlie and Vaggie clearly as surprised as they were.


	12. Chapter 12

Vaggie felt her heart drop.  
“Alastor, what a surprise…” Charlie said.  
“Indeed,” Alastor said. “And I suppose you deserve introductions to Vaggie’s dear ancient ancestor.”  
Alastor stepped aside to reveal a demon with the head of an eagle and the body of a man dressed in the garb of the ancient Aztecs.  
Vaggie’s eyes widened in terror.  
“Vaggie, meet your ancient grandfather Titoc,” Alastor said. “In life, he was an Aztec high priest of the highest order...”  
Vaggie found her indignation and said, “You mean the Aztec high priests who sacrificed thousands of people to the ‘sun god?’”  
“The very kind,” Titoc replied without a hint of irony in his voice. “It is wonderful to finally meet you, granddaughter.”   
“Just great,” Vaggie said sarcastically.   
“Care to join us for lunch?” Alastor asked conjuring a picnic basket.   
“Like hell we are!” Vaggie spat back.  
“Alastor, I have a bone to pick with you…” Charlie said stepping defensively in front of Vaggie.   
“Perfect,” Alastor interrupted sitting down in front of them and pulling out containers of sushi and bottles of water so that Vaggie and Charlie were cornered in the observatory. “Eat up, ladies.”  
Charlie looked confidently at Vaggie, nodded her head, and sat down. Titoc wandered over and did the same. Vaggie sat close to Charlie and reluctantly ate some sushi.   
“I found Titoc about a month ago,” Alastor explained. “I thought I should get a relative’s permission to marry you, but since neither of your parents have died yet, I had to do some digging. He’s agreed to let me marry you and perform the ceremony.”  
Vaggie’s eyes widened in fear as she replied, “No! No, he can’t!”  
“I can,” Titoc said firmly. “In our culture, Vaggie, all marriages are arranged.”  
“Well, not anymore!” Vaggie retorted. “It’s 2020!”  
“Alastor, why are you doing this?” Charlie asked.   
“Because I’m in love, Charlie,” Alastor answered plainly.  
“But Vaggie doesn’t love you back,” Charlie argued. “You know that. So, why did you kidnap her?”  
“No person alive had an issue when the Beast kept Belle against her will in his castle and the two fell in love,” Alastor replied calmly. “Therefore, you could say she is the Beauty to my Beast.”  
“No, I saw that movie,” Vaggie replied indignantly. “This is not the same thing! Belle only fell in love with the Beast when he stopped being an asshole!”  
“Not in the version I read,” Alastor retorted.   
“I don’t know of this story, granddaughter, but I do know that you will be marrying him,” Titoc added sternly. “I have already promised him a dowry as is the modern custom.”  
“First of all, why should I do as you say when you obviously never cared about me before today?” Vaggie asked angrily. “Second of all, dowries are not a modern custom!”  
“They are in some parts of the world,” Alastor chimed in. “I never asked for one of course. I only wanted his blessing and for him to perform the ceremony, but I cannot say no to a demon of his stature.”  
“I’ve agreed to pay his debt and fertilize your womb if you give me grandchildren,” Titoc said.   
“WHAT?!” Vaggie shrieked.   
“I’m not so fond of the idea either,” Alastor admitted somewhat nervously. “Intercourse is an idea that I’m still getting used to.”  
“I want at least eight,” Titoc said sternly.  
“Oh…” Alastor said blushing a bit.  
“Alastor, I trusted you!” Charlie finally blurted out. “How could you stab me in the back like this? Vaggie was right about you all along. I don’t care if we go broke! I never want to see you again!”  
Alastor chuckled darkly and said, “Oh, my dear darling Charlie, what do you think will happen? Your hotel will fail and then you’ll just be an embarrassment to your family.”  
“My father already doesn’t approve of what I’m doing!” Charlie spat back. “I have nothing to lose!”   
“Then I’m sure you don’t mind me asking him to also bless Vaggie and I’s marriage,” Alastor replied.   
Charlie’s eyes flashed in panic as she asked, “Why would he do that?”  
“Yeah, he doesn’t care what the damned do!” Vaggie exclaimed. “Why would he help you?!”  
“Alastor, I can see what you are doing and I must advise you against it,” Titoc chided. “My people and I have learned from experience that the sun god’s help costs more than what he gives.”  
“Don’t worry,” Alastor reassured. “I know what I’m doing.”  
Titoc scoffed and replied, “If you say so, future son-in-law…”  
“What the fuck are you talking about?! Tell me right now, pendejo!” Vaggie yelled.   
“All in good time, my dear,” Alastor said. “Now, let’s stop talking and enjoy the rest of our lunch.”  
The group continued eating their sushi in awkward silence until they finished and Alastor and the rest of them rose to leave.  
“Now then,” Alastor said snapping his fingers causing the picnic basket and its contents to vanish. “Shall we explore the rest of the aquarium?”   
Charlie grabbed Vaggie defensively and held her against her chest.  
“Now, now,” Alastor chided. “No need to make a scene.”  
“I will not let you hurt Vaggie anymore,” Charlie spat as menacingly as she could.  
“Sure, you will,” Alastor replied sarcastically.  
“God, just cut the crap and leave us alone!” Vaggie exclaimed in frustration. “We were together long before you ever came into the picture.”  
“I suggest you do what she says, Alastor,” Titoc said causing Alastor to turn his attention away. “It is unwise to provoke the sun god, especially if you want his help. Give the women their space for now.”  
“I suppose you’re right, Titoc,” Alastor conceded. “We need to discuss dues anyway.”  
“You ladies can walk on ahead,” Titoc instructed. “We’ll be right behind you.”  
Charlie and Vaggie reluctantly nodded and tensely made their way through the aquarium while Alastor and Titoc followed behind them about ten feet away.  
Vaggie looked at the fish and at Charlie as though it were the last time she’d see any of them.  
“What do we do?” Vaggie finally asked.   
“I…I don’t know,” Charlie said sadly.  
“Come on, Charlie,” Vaggie pleaded desperately. “There has to be something we can do. I want to be with you. I won’t spend all eternity as that monster’s baby factory. You’re the princess of Hell. You must be able to do something!”  
Charlie looked at her with eyes just as desperate and said, “I’m sorry, Vaggie. I really don’t know. I’d have to ask my parents about the options…”  
“Is there any way to contact your mother?” Vaggie asked with a glimmer of hope.  
“Not here, at least, not without Alastor noticing,” Charlie said with a smile showing the hope growing inside of her. “We’ll have to make a break for it to call my mother, but how to do it?”  
“I have an idea,” Vaggie said with a smirk. “How about we head to the bathroom?”  
“That’s a great idea,” Charlie replied. “We just have to keep our eyes out for one.”  
“We don’t need to,” Vaggie said. “Look ahead.”  
Much to Charlie’s delight, there was a bathroom waiting for them on the right before they reached the next exhibit.  
Charlie and Vaggie looked at each other with a smile. Then without another word, the two of them dashed into the bathroom leaving Titoc and Alastor standing there in confusion.


	13. Chapter 13

After a few minutes, Charlie finally made contact with her mother and explained the situation. Thankfully, her mother was sympathetic.  
“I’m on my way, dear,” Lilith said from the speakers of Charlie’s phone. “Just stay where you are.”  
The call ended, and Vaggie and Charlie breathed a sigh of relief.  
“And now,” Vaggie said sitting down on the pink sofa of the bathroom’s sitting area in front of a portal giving them a view of fishes from another exhibit. “We wait.”  
Vaggie and Charie sat in the waiting area and watched the fish for a few peaceful minutes. Vaggie and Charlie sighed in contentment as they leaned against each other for support.   
But just then, the phone rang.  
Charlie quickly answered the call, put it on speaker, and asked, “Hello…?”  
“Hello, Charlotte,” Lucifer answered on the other end.  
Vaggie’s mouth fell open in fear.  
Charlie went paler than normal and replied, “Hello, Father. What’s going on?”  
“Did you hear about Alastor’s wedding?” the Devil asked.  
“I…um…yes, Father,” Charlie replied.  
“That Radio Demon wants to cut a deal with me because of it,” Lucifer said. “Do you know what he wants?”  
“No, Father,” Charlie replied nervously. “What does he want?”  
“In exchange for no longer funding your hotel, he wants me to prevent you from stopping the union,” Lucifer replied.  
Vaggie’s face fell in stunned silence.  
“What?!” Charlie yelled. “Why?!”  
“He’ll only drop funding if you keep trying to interfere...” Lucifer began before Charlie interrupted.  
“No, why are you doing this?!” Charlie interrupted.  
“Why do you think?” Lucifer replied coldly.  
“But I love Vaggie!” Charlie exclaimed.  
Lucifer scoffed and said, “Oh, please. You’ll find another demoness to keep you company.”  
“Then why don’t you leave Mother for another siren?!” Charlie snarled.  
“Because she and I are bound together for all eternity,” Lucifer replied.  
“That’s how I feel about Vaggie!” Charlie growled with a voice growing more demonic by the second. “If you won't do anything, I'll protect her myself!”  
“You’ll dig your own grave!” Satan exclaimed.   
“I don’t care!” Charlie yelled back before ending the call.  
After a moment of silence, Vaggie said, “Charlie…”  
“Don’t worry, Vaggie,” Charlie said standing up in determination. “I’ll find a way to take you home.”  
Just then, both ladies heard knocking on the bathroom door and froze.  
“Hello, ladies!” Alastor called out. “Are you alright in there?”  
“We’re fine!” Vaggie yelled back.  
“Darling, you have been in there for a while...” Alastor pleaded.  
“I said I’m fine!” Vaggie retorted.  
“Granddaughter, you must come when your husband summons you,” Titoc reprimanded.   
“He’s not my FUCKING husband!” Vaggie screeched.   
“Alright, Vaggie, I’m gonna do something risky,” Charlie said looking at Vaggie with steady, determined eyes. “Do you trust me?”  
“More than anyone else,” Vaggie replied.   
Charlie shifted completely into her demonic form.  
Vaggie stepped back fearfully for a moment before she approached her dearest friend.  
“Let’s go,” Charlie said with a distorted voice.  
Charlie picked up Vaggie bridal style and dashed towards the door quicker than lightning. She crashed through it to see Alastor and Titoc standing there with her father, but she didn’t stop. Charlie dashed past him and the two other confused demons and kept running.  
Vaggie looked over Charlie’s shoulder and saw to her surprise that the trio were getting smaller. They didn’t even try to follow them. The moth demon looked back around as they dashed past confused demons and aquarium fish.  
Eventually, the two escaped the aquarium and out into the city.  
When Charlie thought they were safe, she stopped at a street corner, put Vaggie down, and caught her breath.  
“Do you think we lost them?” Vaggie asked.  
Charlie turned around and gave a gasp of surprise. Lucifer, Alastor, and Titoc were standing right before her only meters away. Vaggie turned around and felt her jaw drop.  
“How…?” Charlie managed to stammer out.  
“Are you really questioning my abilities?” Lucifer replied.  
“I thought you were staying out of this!” Charlie exclaimed with her eyes glowing red.  
“As long as you’re in danger, I can’t!” Lucifer exclaimed back.  
Vaggie looked nervously at her grandfather and Alastor.  
“Vaggie, you’ve misbehaved a lot today,” Alastor said breaking the silence between them. “I’m not happy.”  
“I don’t care!” Vaggie retorted.  
“I do,” Alastor replied calmly. “I think it’s time for us to return home.”  
“No!” Vaggie spat back as she held Charlie’s hand.  
Charlie snarled and replied, “Over my dead body!”  
Alastor turned to Lucifer who in turn looked back to Charlie and simply said, “Charlotte…”  
“Father, I told you!” Charlie interrupted. “I love Vaggie. I don’t care if Alastor tries to eat me. I’m not leaving her.”  
Alastor’s features began to grow more demonic.  
“Alastor…” Titoc pleaded.  
“I know what I’m doing,” Alastor said in a voice more filled with static. “The deal’s off, Lucifer.”  
Alastor shapeshifted into a deer and charged towards Charlie at top speed.  
However, Lucifer was quicker. He snatched Charlie out of the way at the last second.   
Realizing he missed his target, Alastor slowed down and shapeshifted back to his normal form.  
“ALASTOR!” Lucifer screamed angrily.   
“You and I made a deal, Lucifer,” Alastor said in an upset tone that contradicted his wicked smile. “Your daughter was to stay away from my wife!”  
Lucifer smirked and said, “I’m not exactly a being known for keeping my word. Am I? Especially not when it comes to helping anyone against my Antichrist! I will be honest about this though. If you try to hurt Charlotte again, you lose your territory and your soul goes straight to the flames! Know your place, human.”  
Meanwhile, Charlie gestured her head for Vaggie to start running.   
Vaggie gave her a sad smile and tried to sneak away, but her grandfather grabbed her arms and held her in place.  
“LET ME GO!!!!!!!!!” Vaggie screamed desperately thrashing around. “STOP!”  
“Remember your place, granddaughter,” Titoc rebuked holding Vaggie’s arms back without much effort. “Your husband is speaking.”  
Vaggie began to realize how hopeless her situation was. Tears filled her eyes as she looked to Lucifer to make one more desperate bargain.  
“Your majesty, I will do anything you want!” Vaggie pleaded. “I’ll be your slave for eternity! Just don’t let Alastor do this! Don’t make me go back with him!”  
“Please, Father, please!” Charlie pleaded.  
Lucifer scoffed and said, “I already have you as a slave. Now, I command you to keep your husband from hurting Charlie.”  
“Burn me then!” Vaggie begged with tears rolling down her face. “Please! If you burn me, Alastor will have no reason to hurt Charlie!”  
Charlie’s face fell in frightened shock.  
Before the Devil could answer, Alastor scoffed and said, “That would only give me more reason to do so.”  
“He’s right,” Lucifer replied snapping his fingers instantly causing Vaggie’s hands to be tied behind her back. “She’s all yours, Alastor. I’ll be attending your wedding. Here’s a present for the bride…”  
Lucifer snapped his fingers changing Vaggie’s traditional El Salvadoran dress to turn into a vintage short light blue lingerie slip.  
“And a present for the groom,” Lucifer said snapping his fingers again conjuring a small container that looked like it contained moisturizer before he handed the item to Alastor and whispered into his ear explaining causing the latter’s smile to grow wider.  
“Thank you, Sire!” Alastor said   
“I know how low God made your libido,” Lucifer said. “Be sure to apply it generously which reminds me…”  
Lucifer pointed his staff at Vaggie and allowed a small bolt of energy to blast from his staff straight to Vaggie’s stomach.  
In an instant, Vaggie felt a dull pain twist inside where her womb would be and groaned in discomfort.  
“Vaggie!” Charlie yelled attempting to rush for her friend before Lucifer held her back.  
“Don’t worry, Charlotte,” Lucifer said. “I’ve only opened her womb. Now, Alastor and Vaggie will be able to reproduce children without number.”  
“You bastard!” Vaggie yelled defiantly.  
“What did you expect, whore?” Lucifer replied with a wicked grin. “I am the original sinner.”  
“FATHER!” Charlie yelled angrily.  
“I am not fighting Alastor, Charlotte,” Lucifer said coldly. “Now say bye to your friend.”  
Charlie and Vaggie looked at each other with tears in their eyes. Both of them at a loss for what to do.  
“Don’t worry, Charlie,” Alastor reassured wrapping an arm around Vaggie’s shoulder. “I’ll let you visit and I’ll keep sponsoring the hotel if you both behave. But for now, it’s time to go home.”  
“I have a present to present to you as well,” Titoc said. “May I accompany you home?”  
“But of course,” Alastor said formally. “Just follow me if you please.”  
“No!” Vaggie yelled shaking herself out of Alastor’s arms. “If you think I'm going back with you, you have another thing co...mmph!”  
Lucifer had conjured a thick cloth gag around Vaggie’s mouth.  
Alastor looked up at the Dark Lord and said, "Thank you, Lucifer. It's always a pleasure."  
Vaggie struggled against the rope binding her wrists together while shouting muffled curses behind her gag.  
“Don’t be upset, Vaggie,” Lucifer said while flashing a cruel smirk. “You get to be a rich man’s wife. You’ll live in comfort until Judgement Day.”  
Charlie couldn’t take it anymore. She dashed towards Alastor and made a grab for Vaggie.  
However, Charlie felt her father’s hands grab her arm and pull her back away from Vaggie, leading Charlie away.  
Charlie tried everything to wrench herself from her father’s grip, but nothing worked.  
“I won’t give up, Vaggie!” Charlie yelled as Lucifer dragged her away. “On you or Angel! I promise! Pray for me! I’ll find a way!”  
“See you in a few weeks,” Alastor said with a devilish smirk gripping one of Vaggie’s bound arms. “Don’t be too upset, Charlie, my dear. I’ll keep sponsoring the hotel as long as you stay away. You’ll be allowed to visit, too. You can even help out when Vaggie’s pregnant.”  
Vaggie gave a start of disbelief just as the limo pulled up.  
Alastor opened the door allowing Titoc to climb in.  
Vaggie took the opportunity to make one last break for it, but try as she might, Alastor’s grip remained firm and he pulled her into the limo and shut the door.  
Charlie watched helplessly as Alastor, Titoc, and Vaggie drove away in the limo. She kept watching until they had vanished from sight.  
Lucifer then finally let go of his daughter's arm. Charlie simply broke down, falling to her knees and sobbing.  
The Devil tried to place his hand on her shoulder, but Charlie growled at him and flew away.  
Lucifer was about to spread his wings and fly after her, but Lilith came out of the shadows and said, "Let her go."  
Lucifer looked back at his wife and sighed.


	14. Heavy Petting

Meanwhile, Alastor and his guests arrived back in the limo.  
Titoc waited upstairs while Alastor dragged Vaggie back down the hall of the basement until he arrived in front of Angel's cell.  
Angel looked up from the book he was reading, stood up in surprise at seeing Vaggie bound and gagged in a lingerie dress, and yelled, "What are you doing to Vaggie?!"  
“Nothing she doesn’t deserve for what she put me through today,” Alastor said as he unlocked the cell door.   
Alastor opened the cell door and pushed Vaggie in. Immediately, Angel ran over and started untying Vaggie while Alastor locked the cell door and started to rant.  
“I’m very disappointed in your behavior today, Vaggie,” Alastor began. “How could you?! I give you nice food. I entertain you with a musical number. I take you to my radio station. I let you make an announcement. I introduce you to your Aztec priest ancestor for crying out loud! And what do you do? You run away to the aquarium with Charlie and destroy your tracker the moment I turn my back. Then when we meet up with you offering to let the whole thing go, you force me to call on Lucifer to subdue you and Charlie! What do you have to say for yourself?!”  
Angel finally untied Vaggie’s wrists allowing her to pull her gag off and yell, “Fuck you and the horse you came in on! I never asked for this! All I wanted was to go home with Charlie! I didn’t ask you to find my bastard of an ancestor, come after me, call the Devil, OR for Lucifer to open my womb for that matter! I wish you’d have let me burn! I hate you!”  
Alastor’s eyes narrowed as he calmly, “If that’s the way you want to be, fine. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be cracking the whip on your wild behavior. You’ll be getting etiquette classes from Rosie first thing in the morning. I will not have such an uncivilized woman accompanying me at my auction.”  
“Like Hell you are!” Vaggie retorted.  
“We’ll see about that,” Alastor said turning around and slowly walking away. “Goodnight, my love. I must go attend to your grandfather.”  
Vaggie grabbed the bars and glared at him until he walked out of sight. Once he was out of sight, her shallow angry breaths turned into sobs.  
Vaggie felt four familiar arms wrap around her and pull her close to a soft fluffy chest.  
“We were so fucking close, Angel,” Vaggie cried between sobs. “We were almost free. I’m so sorry.”  
“Shhh…” Angel said rubbing her hair. “I know. It’s okay.”  
Vaggie’s only response was to continue to cry harder than she had in her whole life while Angel held her.  
Angel and Vaggie then made their way to the bed so Vaggie could sit down. Angel then took off his jacket and wrapped it around Vaggie’s shoulders as she continued to cry.  
Vaggie eventually calmed down and started taking deep breaths. Angel rubbed her back and felt all the tension in it.  
“Oh, God, doll,” Angel said in surprise. “Your back is tense. Want me to do something about it?”  
“Okay,” Vaggie said emotionlessly.  
“Alright,” Angel said taking the jacket from around Vaggie’s shoulders and grabbing hold of her slip catching Vaggie off-guard.   
“What are you doing?” Vaggie asked in confusion.  
“I’m gonna give ya a back massage. To do that, Vaggie, your back has to be bare,” Angel replied with a sympathetic look. “If you don’t want me to do it, we can just go back to cuddling.”  
“No, it’s fine,” Vaggie replied lifting her arms.  
Without another word, Angel pulled off Vaggie’s slip and her bra, got her to lay down on her stomach, and began massaging her back with both pairs of his arms.  
In no time at all, Vaggie began to relax as Angel worked out the knots in her back.  
“How did you get so good at this?” Vaggie asked.   
“I always give my clients good after care, babe,” Angel replied as he continued his word. “And massages are the best form of after care there is.”  
Vaggie smiled pleasantly and relaxed as Angel continued rubbing out the knots in her back. It felt wonderful after the day she had.  
But as soon as Angel finished, he reflexively began sucking on Vaggie’s neck. As soon as he felt Vaggie shudder and realized what he was doing, he stopped, sat back up on the bed, and started apologizing profusely.  
Angel sat up and said, “Vaggie, I’m so sorry. I’m used to doing that with my clients. I guess it was a reflex. I’m sorry...”  
But instead of the angry tirade Angel was expecting, Vaggie sat up, looked at Angel, crawled over to him, and reached her face over to him until their lips connected.  
Angel sat there completely taken aback as Vaggie smashed her lips against his, kissing him hard and rough.  
Angel shrugged and began kissing Vaggie back wrapping both pairs of arms around her back.  
Vaggie continued kissing Angel back trailing her fingers around his shoulders.  
Angel started pulling down Vaggie’s underwear. Vaggie pushed Angel’s hands back up.  
“Don’t want intercourse, huh?” Angel said between kisses laying Vaggie down on her back on the mattress. “Makes sense. You can get pregnant now and ya wouldn’t want me to be the father. That’s fine. We’ll just stick to some heavy petting. Don’t worry. This is on the house.”  
Angel went back to kissing Vaggie as she moaned pleasantly and hugged Angel’s neck.   
“You wanna keep going, hun?” Angel asked moving his hands behind Vaggie’s head.   
“Yes,” Vaggie moaned. “Keep going.”  
Angel smiled, gently laid Vaggie’s arms by her side, and began kissing every inch of her.  
Vaggie would have lied if she said she didn’t enjoy it. Her moans slowly turned into panting as Angel finished kissing her feet.   
“Are you feeling alright, Vaggie?” Angel finally asked.   
“Yes, thanks,” Vaggie replied.  
Angel sighed contentedly, picked up Vaggie’s bra, sat her up, and put it back on over her breasts.  
As Angel was hooking her bra in the back, Vaggie wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.  
Angel finished hooking the bra, chuckled gently, and said, “Had a really rough day. Didn’t ya?”  
“Understatement of the freaking century,” Vaggie said allowing herself to slide off Angel’s lap and back onto the bed so Angel could sit up.  
Angel reached over to the floor, picked up Vaggie’s lingerie slip, and asked, “Do ya want your slip back? Where’d ya find it anyhow?”   
“Lucifer gave it to me as a wedding present,” Vaggie said angrily. “I don’t want it…”  
“Then, can I have it?” Angel asked excitedly.   
Vaggie scoffed and replied, “It’s all yours, Angel.”  
Angel squealed with joy as he pulled the slip over his slender body.  
Vaggie chuckled to herself quietly.  
“Hey, Vaggie?” Angel asked. “How do I look?”  
“Like a slut,” Vaggie replied.  
Angel smirked and replied, “Mission accomplished.”  
Vaggie chuckled to herself even harder than before.  
Angel smiled as Vaggie laughed and said, “You’ve got a sexy laugh there, doll.”  
Vaggie smiled and said, “You have sexy confidence.”  
Angel smiled wider, struck a pose, and said, “Why thank ya, babe!”  
Vaggie laughed out loud harder than she had in days. Tears were rolling down her face, and her side began to hurt.  
Angel smiled contentedly as Vaggie finally began to calm down and said, “I finally did it. I finally made you laugh.”  
“Yeah,” Vaggie said catching her breath. “Yeah, you did.”  
Vaggie smiled.  
“And I thought you hated me,” Angel teased.  
“I don’t hate you,” Vaggie admitted. “You annoy me sometimes, but I don’t hate you.”  
Angel strutted over to the bed, picked up the book, picked up Vaggie, sat down, placed Vaggie on his lap, kissed her on the top of the head, and said, "Likewise, hon. You're not bad when you're not being a bitch."  
Vaggie giggled lightly before she sniffled in realization.  
“What’s the matter?” Angel asked.  
“Charlie…” Vaggie said with tears at the corners of her eyes. “I can’t believe I just asked you to do that. I’m such a slut…”  
“No, you ain’t,” Angel interrupted while lying down and holding Vaggie’s head on top of his chest fluff. “Get that out of your head right now. You ain’t no slut, Vaggie. At least, not anymore. You’re just a scared person who needs someone big and strong to tell her everything’s gonna be okay. And since Charlie’s not here, you’re making do with me. That’s all. She’ll understand.”  
Vaggie sighed contentedly letting herself relax in Angel’s arms as she whispered, “You’re right. Thank you.”  
Angel pulled the coat over both their bodies and asked, “Do ya want me to read some more of this book?”  
“Sure,” Vaggie replied shutting her eyes.  
“So, what’s the last part you remember me reading?” Angel asked.  
“I fell asleep sometime when Petruchio was talking to Kate at her Dad’s house,” Vaggie replied.  
“Ah, right,” Angel said before he picked up where he left off.  
Vaggie laid there comfortably enjoying the funny lines of the play until Angel reached some familiar lines.  
“…Women are made to bear and so are you…” Angel read out loud causing Vaggie to gasp audibly and start shaking in shock.  
“Vaggie, what’s wrong?” Angel asked in concern.  
“Alastor,” Vaggie stammered out. “He said that to me.”  
“What?!” Angel exclaimed.   
“He called me his shrew to tame,” Vaggie said fearfully.  
“That fucking bastard…” Angel said angrily.  
“Angel, you’ve read this play,” Vaggie interrupted anxiously. “What does Petruchio do to Kate?”  
Angel sighed and said, “Petruchio wore Kate down until he finally broke her.”  
Vaggie’s eyes shook fearfully and angrily as she said, “That motherfucker...”  
“Agreed,” Angel replied.  
Vaggie’s fear gave way to her anger as she said, “I’m not a fucking spoiled brat like this Kate bitch is. I am not letting this asshole push me around!”  
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from ya, babe,” Angel said giving Vaggie another squeeze.   
Vaggie relaxed on top of Angel and said, “I’ll need to know what to expect. You can keep reading now.”  
Angel smiled and continued reading the play out loud until he and Vaggie fell asleep.


	15. Let Me Have It

The next morning, Alastor was strolling down the hall of his basement. He walked happily knowing that his love was awaiting him in her prison cell.   
Alastor pictured Vaggie in her beautiful lingerie dress and imagined how smooth and soft her body would be against his when they would finally share a bed together. The wedding day was getting closer.   
Sure, Vaggie wasn’t ready to be presented to all of Hell, but that was a minor problem that would be optimistically solved with Rosie’s help. Even if it wasn’t, Alastor had other ways to rope her in line. One way or another, Vaggie would be his bride.   
Ah, yes. Less than two weeks and that exquisite little moth demon would be his to have and to hold for all eternity.   
Before Alastor knew it, he was in front of the prison cell.   
Vaggie was still sleeping on top of Angel who had his arms resting on her back. It was enough to make Alastor’s blood boil, but he didn’t interrupt. At least, not yet.   
Alastor stood there watching Vaggie sleep for a minute and sighed contentedly. He was happy to watch his beautiful bride sleep until she rolled over.  
When Vaggie rolled over, Angel’s coat rolled off her chest revealing that she was not only not wearing her dress, but that there was a telltale kissing mark on Vaggie’s neck where his should have been.  
Alastor saw red. He growled lowly and bolted for the cage’s door. In less than a second, Alastor tore the prison door off its hinges and had tossed it down the hall.  
Vaggie and Angel bolted upwards and stared in horror at the rageful look on Alastor’s face.  
Angel held Vaggie defensively and asked with a smirk, “What’s wrong, stag?”  
All of a sudden, thick black tentacles emerged from Alastor’s bowtie, wrapped around Angel’s neck, and started to choke him.  
Knowing she had to act, Vaggie stood up, grabbed the book, and dashed towards Alastor.  
Vaggie slapped Alastor across the face with her book catching him so off guard that he dropped Angel on the floor.  
Alastor looked at Vaggie, looked at Angel clad in Vaggie’s lovely slip, and regained a bit of composure thinly veiled under his diabolical smile.  
“Tell me, Vaggie,” Alastor said in an unpleasantly calm tone as Angel coughed on the ground. “What exactly transpired between you two last night?”  
“We kissed,” Vaggie said carefully. “I gave Angel the slip. Then we read the book and went to sleep. That is all.”  
“Oh?” Alastor responded calmly. “Even so, he should have known better than to kiss another man's wife.”  
Suddenly, Vaggie and Angel noticed the sound of boots running down the hallway and stopping in front of the prison cell. The duo looked up to see Rosie standing just outside their cell.  
“Oh, dear,” Rosie said in her sickly sweet, concerned tone. “What in the nine circles of Hell is going on here?”  
“Angel kissed my bride,” Alastor said barely concealing his anger. “He is in need of punishment.”  
“No!” Vaggie yelled attempting to dash towards Angel before Rosie grabbed onto her arm and pulled her back.  
“Unfortunately, Vaggie, this little bluenose is getting what he deserves,” Alastor said snapping his fingers transferring the blue slip from Angel back to Vaggie. “Rosie, could you get Vaggie cleaned up and ready for breakfast? I have to do some punishing.”  
“Of course,” Rosie replied with a sick smirk as she began to walk to the door with Vaggie in tow.   
“NO!” Vaggie screamed trying desperately to shake herself out of Alastor’s grip. “It was all me! I kissed Angel first! It was all my fault! Please don’t hurt him!”  
Angel scoffed and said with a sad smirk, "What are ya talking about? It was me who made the first move, babe. And I don't mind saying I enjoyed it."  
Rosie placed her cold hands on Vaggie’s shoulders and quickly pushed her out of sight amidst her loud protests.  
When Alastor was sure Vaggie was out of the basement, he looked back where Angel was sitting on the floor only to find that Angel wasn’t there.  
Alastor turned around to see Angel standing and urinating in the toilet right in front of him.   
Sensing Alastor’s eyes boring a hole into his back, Angel smiled and said, “I just thought I should get this out of my system before we got started. I figured you wouldn’t like the mess.”  
Alastor stood there dumbfounded and glaring at Angel as he finished his business, flushed the toilet, and took his time walking over to the sink and washing his hands.   
Once he was done, Angel turned around, leaned back against the sink, smirked, and said, “I know you ain’t happy with me, stag, but I ain’t sorry. When you brought Vaggie to me, she was scared and needed some comfort, so I gave it to her.”  
Alastor was silently shaking with rage now.  
Angel smirked amusedly and added, “What’s the matter, Alastor? You can’t handle that I’m a better kisser than you?”  
Alastor snapped. In a flash, his foot smashed in Angel’s left knee causing the latter to squeal in pain as he fell to the ground.  
“Oh, yes, Daddy !” Angel cried out between gasps for air as Alastor’s tentacles reached for his limbs. “Let me have it! I’ve been bad!”


	16. The Next Broken Arm

Back upstairs, Rosie took Vaggie back to her room and shoved her into her bathroom.   
Vaggie screamed in protest and tried to break down the door, but Rosie mockingly assured her that nothing would be done unless she obediently prepared herself for the day.   
Realizing she had no choice, Vaggie relented. She took a shower, brushed her teeth, and took care of all her other business until Rosie let her out to finish the rest.   
Rosie dressed Vaggie in a white lace Edwardian lawn party dress with a collar going up to her neck and sheer sleeves going down her arms complete with period shoes and stockings.   
Then, Rosie sat Vaggie down in front of the room’s new vanity, brushed her hair out, and styled it into a fashionable bun with her pink ribbon running through it.   
Rosie finished the look with an off-white eyepatch she tied over Vaggie’s missing eye.  
“There, we go,” Rosie said stepping back and admiring her work. “Don’t you look beautiful?”  
Vaggie looked at the vanity mirror, stood up, and said, “I look like my great-great-abuelita.”  
“Oh, don’t be absurd,” Rosie said. “You look much more beautiful than she ever did. Now, come on. Give us a turn.”  
Vaggie crossed her arms in annoyance, scowled, span around once very quickly, and quipped, “Happy? Can I take this crap off now?”  
“Marvelous!” Rosie said clapping her hands merrily. “You look absolutely gorgeous! Just wait until Alastor sees you!”  
“What?!” Vaggie snarled angrily. “I’m not a fucking doll! If you think I’m going to let that shitlord even look at me after what he has done to Angel…”  
“Oh, my goodness!” Alastor called out in the doorway interrupting Vaggie mid-rant. “Vaggie, just look at you! You look like a real showgirl!”  
“Thanks, I hate it,” Vaggie retorted as she stomped over to where the Radio Demon was standing. “Where’s Angel?”  
“Oh, nonsense,” Alastor said completely ignoring Vaggie’s question. “You’re going to love it when my colleagues see you by my side.”  
“Yeah, I’m just oozing with anticipation,” Vaggie said sarcastically. “I can’t wait to take this thing off. Where is Angel?!”  
“Oh, but it looks so lovely on you,” Alastor said ignoring Vaggie’s question again as he showed Vaggie a voodoo doll of her from his pocket. “And on the little you as well.”  
Vaggie stood back in shock. The doll was dressed and had its hair styled exactly like she did. It was uncanny.  
“God, you’re such a creep,” Vaggie said in disgust.   
“Ah, ah, ah,” Alastor said twisting the doll’s arm behind her back causing Vaggie’s arm to painfully do the same. “Manners, my dear.”  
“Let me go!” Vaggie yelled. “Please!”  
Alastor released the doll’s arm allowing Vaggie’s arm to be freed.  
Vaggie rubbed her sore shoulder and muttered under her breath, “Goddamn asshole.”  
Alastor chuckled out loud and said, “Now, now, don’t make me bring Angel Dust into this.”  
Vaggie’s eyes widened and then narrowed as she asked, “What the fuck have you done with Angel?!”  
“I gave that disgusting, perverted nuisance what he deserved,” Alastor said with his annoying, self-satisfied grin. “Perhaps now he’ll learn not to touch what isn’t his.”  
“Where is he?!” Vaggie asked.   
Alastor opened the door and stepped into the hallway holding the door open for Vaggie just as everyone heard a loud, painful groan.  
Vaggie ran out of her room and into the room next door where Angel was being held and beheld a gruesome sight.  
Angel was lying in the room next door on a surgical table absolutely mangled in injuries with only his brown shorts on, all other clothing having been removed except his choker. Five out of six arms were broken. One of his legs was kicked in. And those were only the injuries Vaggie could see. Angel was breathing shakily but still conscious.   
Angel turned his head over and saw Vaggie standing in the doorway trembling like a leaf.  
“Hey there, doll,” Angel said with a smile clearly trying to conceal his pain.  
Vaggie walked to the table to get a better look at him.   
Angel’s split lip and broken arms were caked in dried blood, congealed and cracked. The now browning blood had drizzled down the lacerations on his bare chest and back much like rain down a window pane.  
“Oh, my God,” Vaggie whispered fearfully trying not to shed any tears.  
“That was a hell of a time, babe,” Angel said with a smirk. “You should’ve been there.”  
Vaggie put her hand on Angel’s first right hand, the hand of the only arm that wasn’t broken, and said, “Angel, I’m so sorry…”  
“Don’t be, hon,” Angel replied giving Vaggie’s hand a squeeze. “That was so much fun.”  
Vaggie scoffed and said, “You dumb motherfucker…Alastor, you have to heal him. You can’t leave Angel like this!”  
Vaggie turned around to see Alastor and Rosie standing in the doorway behind her.  
Alastor chuckled, walked over to her, and said, “Oh, Vaggie. I only intended to teach him a lesson. Of course, I’m going to help him heal. Angel’s our main auction item after all. He’ll be better by Friday. You’ll see.”  
“Oh, can I help you nurse Angel back to health please, Alastor?” Rosie asked merrily. “I’d love to help!”  
“But of course, Rosie, my dear,” Alastor replied.   
“What shall we do first?” Rosie asked.  
“You need to take Vaggie to breakfast and give her etiquette lessons,” Alastor said. “I’ll see to the spider for now.”  
“Oh, fuck no!” Vaggie yelled.  
“Vaggie, it’ll be fine,” Angel said desperately trying to calm Vaggie down.   
“Come along now, Vaggie,” Rosie said without skipping a beat. “We must go to breakfast.”  
“Like Hell!” Vaggie snarled. “I am not leaving Angel alone with Alastor!”  
Alastor held up Vaggie’s voodoo doll again and started moving her legs causing Vaggie’s to do the same toward the door as he said, “Yes, you are.”  
“NO!” Vaggie screamed helplessly as she and Rosie headed out the door before Alastor shut it behind them. “ANGEL!”  
“Don’t worry, Vaggie!” Angel yelled after her reassuringly. “I’ll be fine!”  
Alastor stared at the door quietly until he heard Rosie and Vaggie head downstairs. Only then did he turn to his crippled victim on the table. The pair stared at each other for a second before Angel broke the silence.  
“What are you doing to Vaggie?” Angel asked.   
“Shouldn’t you be worrying about yourself?” Alastor said taking his coat off and dropping it on the floor as he walked over to the bathroom.  
Angel Dust’s eyes narrowed as he turned his head towards Alastor and said, “I don’t give a flying fuck about what ya do to me. What are ya going to do to Vaggie, you stuck-up, fucking son-of-a-bitch?!”  
“I’m going to make her my wife,” Alastor said turning on the sink and beginning to scrub the dried blood off his arms.   
Angel scoffed and said, “The day that happens is when Satan gives up his damn crown.”  
“We’ll see about that,” Alastor replied. “You of all people should know how determined a lover is.”  
Angel snorted and retorted, “Like someone like you would know what real love is.”  
Alastor sighed and said, “I have never felt so alive.”  
“Vaggie sure as hell doesn’t.”  
“Oh, don’t be silly. Vaggie’s just shy and overwhelmed by the news right now.”  
“Vaggie shy? That’s rich.”  
Alastor didn’t respond but dried his hands on a hand towel and walked over to his patient.  
“What are you gonna do with your hands?” Angel asked flirtatiously.  
Alastor summoned a needle and thread out of nowhere and said, “Fix you up, of course.”  
“Didn’t know you were a doctor, handsome,” Angel said.  
Alastor silently summoned a voodoo doll of Angel and quickly sewed the mouth of the doll shut. To Angel’s horror, his lips were sealed shut along with it.  
“There,” Alastor said putting his doll back into his pocket. “Silence at last.”   
Angel’s grew wide in panic and he gave out an involuntary whimper upon realizing what Alastor had done.  
“Don’t worry, Angel,” Alastor said with a wicked smile as he walked over to Angel’s first broken arm on his left side. “I’ll unsew your mouth when we’re finished. You know how I relish the sound of screams.”  
In his panic, Angel tried using his one good hand to pull open his mouth tugging in vain to pry it open against the magic.  
Alastor grabbed his hand, gave a sigh of disapproval, and said, “Bad boy, Angel. You don’t want to get yourself hurt again. Do you?”  
“Mmmmmpppppphhhhhh!” Angel groaned pulling as hard as could to twist his hand out of Alastor’s titanium grip.  
“Angel, you need to lay still or I’m going to need to use restraints,” Alastor chided calmly.  
“Fmmpp mmmm (Fuck you) !” Angel groaned.  
Alastor sighed again before he snapped his fingers and instantly caused all Angel’s arms to be strapped down to the table with leather straps by the wrists.  
Angel moaned in pain at the sudden movement in his broken bones.  
“Now then,” Alastor said merrily. “Let’s start setting those broken bones back into place!”  
Angel whimpered fearfully as Alastor put his hands on the first broken arm.  
“Don’t be afraid to scream, Angel!” Alastor prattled happily. “It’s all music to my ears!”  
Then without another word, Alastor snapped the broken bone back into place with an audible crack as Angel gave out a muffled scream.  
Alastor happily hummed a show tune as he got out some medical stabilizers to hold the reset bone in place and wrapped bandages around them to secure them to Angel’s arm.  
Angel started thrashing as much as he could underneath the restraints. Unfortunately for him, the restraints held firm as Alastor finished his work and made his way to the next broken arm.


	17. Chapter 17

After breakfast was over, Rosie dragged Vaggie into a classroom that looked like it was from the turn of the century. As soon as they arrived, Rosie shoved Vaggie into a desk and walked up to the chalkboard.  
Vaggie looked around angrily and started having negative flashbacks from the parochial school she attended as a child. Much like Catholic schools her Mother told her about, there were rulers for hand slapping and cuffs that prevented the use of writing with the left hand.  
Vaggie looked at the desk and stared at the left-hand cuff for a moment before glaring back at Rosie.  
“Oh, don’t worry,” Rosie reassured Vaggie. “That won’t be required unless you’re left-handed.”  
“So, why are we here?” Vaggie asked in annoyance.   
“Today is the first day of your etiquette lessons,” Rosie said cheerfully.  
“And why do I have to do this again?” Vaggie asked.  
“Why, so we can make you a proper lady,” Rosie replied.  
Vaggie scoffed and said, “I’m proper enough.”  
Rosie chuckled to herself and said, “I’d beg to differ.”  
“How so? What makes me so fucking improper?”  
“Swearing for one.”  
“Yeah, so?”  
“Vaggie, proper ladies do not swear.”  
Vaggie smirked and retorted, “I read somewhere that swearing indicates a high level of intelligence.”  
“Does sleeping with another man when you’re engaged indicate intelligence?” Rosie asked in a mockingly sweet voice.  
Vaggie scowled in response and said, “We were not having sex.”  
“Whatever you were doing, you need to learn some manners,” Rosie said. “Alastor told me that you grew up as a whore in the slums of El Salvador.”  
“I had to provide food for my mother and siblings, you bitch!” Vaggie yelled standing up at her seat.  
“You also had such a horrible temper that you hurt people and found your way to hell,” Rosie said shaking her head judgmentally.   
“You’re here, too,” Vaggie spat back.  
“Ah, ah, ah, no changing the subject, dearie.”  
“What makes me so much worse than you?”  
“For one thing, I didn’t show my flower to multitudes of unsavory men.”  
“You sure about that? You seemed experienced when you went after Angel, you bitch.”  
“Oh, he led me through it,” Rosie said calmly.  
“Sure,” Vaggie said sarcastically. “You’re a bigger whore than I am!”  
“Nah ah ah,” Alastor’s annoying voice rang from the door. “Vaggie, dear, no disrespecting your teacher.”  
“What are you doing here?” Vaggie asked. “I thought you were taking care of Angel.”  
“Only if you don’t sass or talk back to Rosie,” Alastor chided.   
Vaggie rolled her eyes in annoyance, so Alastor’s staff glowed a threatening shade of red.  
Vaggie gulped fearfully as she realized how serious he was.  
“Alright,” Vaggie conceded. “I’ll listen.”  
“Good girl,” Alastor said happily calming down. “Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I have some work to do while the familiars are healing some of Angel’s broken bones.”  
Alastor disappeared before Vaggie could ask what he meant.  
A demon’s injuries healed faster than human injuries, but a broken arm still wasn’t something that could be healed in a day without help if the demon in question was as badly injured as Angel was.  
Sadly, before Vaggie could think anymore, Rosie started talking again.  
“Now then, let’s work on balance and posture,” Rosie said.  
Vaggie simply groaned in anticipation.  
Rosie set a notebook on Vaggie’s head and said, “Now, balance this book on your head.”  
Vaggie sat up straight while keeping the book balanced on her head.  
“Good,” Rosie said. “Now, shoulders back, feet flat on the floor, and chin up.”  
Vaggie reluctantly did what Rosie asked scowling at her condescending tone the whole time.  
“Smiles go for miles, my dear,” Rosie said shaking her head at Vaggie’s frown.   
“Aren’t you sexist?” Vaggie muttered under her breath.  
“Manners, Vaggie,” Rosie rebuked.  
Rosie took the book from Vaggie’s Head and put the notebook on the desk before handing her a pen.  
Vaggie glanced down at the notebook and pen and asked, “And what do you expect me to do with this?”  
“Take notes, dear,” Rosie replied ignoring Vaggie’s rude tone.  
“Of what?” Vaggie asked.  
“Of my lecture, young lady,” Rosie replied patiently.  
“Ugh, fine…” Vaggie grumbled.  
“Today, you will be learning about four main topics,” Rosie explained as she turned around and wrote on the board to correspond with what she was saying. “Lady’s social etiquette, table manners, your place in your marriage, and how to carry yourself when you are with your husband…”  
“Wait,” Vaggie interrupted. “My place?”  
“Of course,” Rosie said.  
“What is that supposed to mean?”   
“As Alastor’s wife, you’re supposed to be at his side at all times and not one word should be said by you unless you’re granted permission. Not the unruly behavior you’re used to.”  
“What kind of nonsense is that?”  
“It is not nonsense at all.”  
“Yes, it is,” Vaggie snarled angrily. “You’re saying a woman should be nothing more than glorified arm candy!”  
“As far as you’re concerned, that is correct,” Rosie said with a smug grin.  
“But why?” Vaggie asked.   
“Because your husband is a high-ranking demon,” Rosie replied.  
“Alastor is not my husband.”  
“Not yet, but he will be soon.”  
Vaggie knew she wasn’t going to win that argument, so she sat back and said, “Fine, but why do I need to learn how to conduct myself in front of my ‘husband?’ Charlie’s the princess of hell and she never asks me to do that.”  
“Simple,” Rosie hummed. “Her parents never taught her how to conduct herself.”  
Vaggie began brimming with rage. Fortunately, that was when Rosie turned around and began her lecture.  
“Now remember, elbows are to be off the table so you can have perfect posture at all times…” Rosie began.  
Vaggie began "taking notes" which included mostly making mean doodles.  
Rosie wrote notes on the chalkboard continuously for over two hours.  
After keeping her back turned on Vaggie for a while, Rosie turned around to look at her pupil and thought she saw something in the notebook that shouldn’t have been there.  
Rosie moved forward and snatched up the notebook. On the notebook was a portrait of her but Vaggie had drawn numerous daggers stabbing Rosie’s eyes out and her organs were removed.  
Rosie glared at Vaggie who only smirked in response.  
“You didn’t hear a word of that,” Rosie said in a sickly-sweet voice that didn’t cover her anger very well. “Did you?”  
“Not a damn thing,” Vaggie said defiantly.  
Rosie grimaced in disgust and yelled, "You naughty little savage! How dare you disrespect me! You will be punished immediately!"  
Vaggie snorted and said, “Oh really? And how are you going to punish me?”  
It was then that Alastor opened the door.  
“Oh, Alastor!” Rosie squealed while showing Alastor Vaggie’s drawing. “She spent my whole lecture drawing this obscene portrait of me and didn’t listen to a word I said!”  
“Vaggie, that was very rude of you,” Alastor said furrowing his brow in disappointment.  
“I had to do something to keep my mind occupied,” Vaggie said remorselessly.   
Valastro shook his head and said, “Oh, my darling…”  
“Excuse me if her lecture was too boring for me to pay attention,” Vaggie retorted.  
“Vaggie, I think Angel should be given some punishment for what you’ve done to Rosie,” Alastor said coldly.   
“What?!” Vaggie asked fearfully. “You can’t! You have to keep him in one piece for the auction!”  
“Oh, I won’t hurt Angel. Not exactly…” Alastor said summoning a tablet with security feed coming from Angel’s room. “It's about time I introduced you to my healing process.”  
On the screen, Vaggie could see Angel strapped down on that table with medical stabilizers and bandages covering his broken arms and knee. His mouth was open panting painfully and trying to suppress his moans as Alastor’s various familiars flew around him.  
“I bet you’re wondering how I plan on healing Angel in about a week considering the extent of his injuries,” Alastor said. “I mean, demons heal faster than humans, but we still need time. I’ve found a way to use my magic to accelerate that process according to my will.”  
“Why are you telling me this?” Vaggie asked suspiciously.  
“Because this process is more painful than the normal healing process, dear,” Alastor replied with a smirk.   
“What?”   
“Let my familiars demonstrate.”  
Back on the camera feed, the familiars stopped flying around Angel and stood at attention. That was not lost on Angel.  
“Heya, boys,” Angel said with a seductive smirk. “We’re gonna have some fun today. Aren’t we?”  
“First,” Alastor said. “Let’s repair the ribs.”  
The familiars took hold of Angel’s ribs that were broken, causing Angel to scream out in agony. Then, they forced them together as a red light shimmered around his chest. Angel screamed louder and struggled under the restraints.  
Vaggie couldn’t take it.  
“Stop it!” Vaggie yelled in a panic. “You’re hurting him!”  
“Oh, sweetheart, it’s not that bad,” Alastor mockingly reassured his betrothed.   
Vaggie glared at Alastor as Angel screamed louder in pain.  
“Well, maybe it’s a bit painful if you aren’t given an anesthetic,” Alastor said with a chuckle.   
Vaggie swallowed her pride and asked, “What do you want me to do?”  
“Just to behave for Rosie,” Alastor replied. “Do that and I’ll keep Angel anesthetized and in the room next to yours.”  
Vaggie looked at Angel one more time before pleading, “Okay, I’ll behave! Just give Angel the goddamn anesthetic!”  
“I thought so,” Alastor said snapping his fingers prompting the familiars to stop.   
The anesthetic was then brought to Angel in a glass mixed with a pink protein shake to give Angel some nutrients. A familiar held up Angel’s head while another one held the glass and made him swallow the concoction. As soon as the spider demon swallowed the drink, he fell asleep and the familiars resumed their work.  
Alastor turned off the tablet’s camera feed, put the item in his pocket, turned back to Rosie, and said, “There you go, Rosie. From here on out, you should have few problems.”  
“Thank you, Alastor,” Rosie said sweetly. “You are a wonderful friend.”  
Alastor turned back to Vaggie and said, “I'll escort you to the bathroom, Vaggie my dear, so that we all can have a quick break. Rosie, get yourself ready for the lecture. You don't mind the interruption. Do you?”  
“Of course not,” Rosie replied. “I’d like the opportunity to powder my nose as well.”  
Unfortunately, Vaggie did have to use the bathroom, so she allowed Alastor to escort her out of the room to the bathroom down the hall.  
For a minute, Alastor was eerily silent. It was unnerving as Vaggie followed behind him hearing nothing in that hallway except the sound of their shoes walking on the ground. That silence was daunting, and it was honestly a relief when Alastor spoke again.  
“I have to warn you, dear,” Alastor began. “Angel’s recovery will continue to be painful if you don’t cooperate with Rosie.”  
“I’ll cooperate as long as you aren’t hurting Angel,” Vaggie replied.   
“Good,” Alastor said stopping in his tracks and opening the bathroom door for Vaggie to walk in.  
Alastor then allowed Vaggie to enter the bathroom and take a few minutes to take care of her needs before she emerged and allowed herself to be escorted back to the classroom.  
Like before, the two were silent until they closed in on their destination.   
“Oh, yeah. Why do you have a classroom in your house?” Vaggie asked.  
“No reason,” Alastor said. “Other than having a place to teach our future children.”  
“I am not having kids with you,” Vaggie said. “I can’t believe you agreed to that.”  
“Oh, Vaggie, I didn’t want children originally,” Alastor explained. “The idea of intercourse is still an idea I’m getting used to. That is not why I agreed to Titoc’s terms if that’s what you’re insinuating. I only agreed to his terms so that I could have his approval to marry you.”  
“How romantic,” Vaggie added sarcastically.  
“I’ll take Vaggie from here,” Rosie interrupted taking Vaggie’s arm in hers. “Come along, dearie. Chin up, straighten up your spine, tread lightly. Good job. We’ll have to have a late lunch if we want to catch-up, but we will have so much fun.”  
“Joy…” Vaggie muttered sarcastically under her breath.  
“See you gals later,” Alastor said with a wave before he turned away to go back to whatever he was doing.


	18. Rosie Being a Bitch

For the next few hours, Vaggie split her time between actually taking notes and making a map of the manor she could use for later. It was all she could do to not nod off during Rosie’s lecture. It was boring, sexist, and condescending, but mostly boring.   
Thankfully, Rosie wrote the last note on the chalkboard for Vaggie to write down and put down her chalk.  
“Alright, Vaggie, are you ready to put some of this etiquette into practice?” Rosie asked in an annoyingly merry tone.  
“I don’t have a choice. Do I?” Vaggie replied.  
“No, now come along, dear,” Rosie said walking to the door. “Let’s powder our noses and go have some lunch.”  
Vaggie groaned under her breath, picked up her pen and notebook, and reluctantly followed her teacher.  
After powdering their noses and demonstrating some completely unnecessary bathroom etiquette, Rosie led Vaggie to a pristine and properly set lunch table in yet another tea room that Vaggie had never seen before.   
This tea room was much like the previous one with the same type of furniture but set in a larger room with teal wallpaper and a large window looking over the yard and the alluring forest just beyond it that Vaggie had nearly escaped into the other day.   
Vaggie made herself away from the forest out the window and glared at Rosie as the two entered the room. Rosie and Alastor had chosen this room on purpose.  
“How many tea rooms does one man need?” Vaggie muttered under her breath to distract herself from her anger.  
“A powerful man like Alastor can afford many luxuries,” Rosie said gently pushing Vaggie ahead of her. “Now, please do sit down in the seat over there so we can begin our lunch.”  
As soon as Vaggie sat down in the chair, Rosie commanded, “Now, show me your hands.”  
Vaggie looked at Rosie in confusion and put her hands in front of her. Rosie pulled out a small bottle of hand sanitizer and squirted some of its contents into Vaggie’s hands.  
“Remember, Vaggie,” Rosie said. “A proper lady is always clean.”  
Vaggie rubbed her hands together without making any fuss as Rosie squirted some of the sanitizer into her hands and took her seat as well.  
“Alright, Vaggie,” Rosie said. “Before we eat, what do we do first?”  
“What do you mean?” Vaggie asked confusedly.  
“What do you do first when you enter a luncheon?” Rosie asked in annoyance. “My dear, did you listen to my lecture?”  
“But you said so much, it’s so hard to remember,” Vaggie retorted. “Uh…Say ‘hi?’”  
“Oh, goodness, no,” Rosie replied with a disapproving head shake. “You walk up to your guest with the perfect posture and balance. Then, you politely introduce yourself.”  
“Isn’t that what I just said?” Vaggie asked.  
“No, you do not say ‘hi’ like some uncultured swine,” Rosie said snobbishly.  
“But we already know each other,” Vaggie protested.  
“Practice, my dear,” Rosie replied with a smile.  
Vaggie rolled her eyes, stood up in her chair leaving the pen and notebook on her chair, walked over to Rosie, extended her hand to shake, and said, “Hello. I am Vaggie, the manager of the Happy Hotel. It’s nice to meet you.”  
“Ah, ah, ah,” Rosie said shaking her finger at Vaggie’s face. “You are not the manager of the Hazbin Hotel anymore.”  
“Yes, I am,” Vaggie argued. “I help Charlie manage the hotel! That’s my job!”  
“That was your job. It’s not your job anymore.”  
“What am I then?”  
“You are the Radio Demon’s betrothed.”  
“No, I’m not! I’m not introducing myself that way!”  
“Unfortunately, dear, that is how you are to introduce yourself to your guests,” Rosie said calmly and matter-of-factly. “Now, would you like to try that again?”  
Vaggie glared at Rosie and said, “Sure. Hello. I’m Vaggie, the Radio Demon’s sex slave. It’s nice to meet you.”  
Rosie gasped in shock and said, “No. No. No. That will simply not do at all.”  
“But that’s the truth,” Vaggie said crossing her arms. “Isn’t it?”  
“Now, dear, you’re to be Alastor’s wife, not his sex slave,” Rosie chided.  
“That’s what he wants me to be,” Vaggie snarled. “I found out about the deal he made with my Aztec ancestor yesterday. We met him at the aquarium. That bastard told me that in exchange for my hand in marriage and at least 8 kids he would help Alastor pay his debt. Your friend took me for that reason alone. He doesn’t actually love me. You don’t have to lie!”  
“Vaggie, you’re being ridiculous…” Rosie said with a scowl.  
“That’s why men usually took women in your time. Isn’t it?”   
“Marriage was ideally for love, but it was mostly for status and obligation.”  
“Exactly. Not love.”  
“Oh, Vaggie. Alastor didn’t ask Titoc to help him with his debt when he asked for your hand. Titoc offered that all on his own.”  
“And that makes it better?”  
“Vaggie, the food is getting cold,” Rosie said with a sigh. “I suggest you introduce yourself properly or I will have to call Alastor.”  
Vaggie sighed in defeat and said, “Hello, I’m Vaggie. It’s nice to meet you.”  
Then, she turned around and returned to her chair.  
Rosie smiled contentedly and said, “Good. Now, back straight, shoulders set, feet flat on the floor.”  
Vaggie silently did all that Rosie asked.  
“Good work,” Rosie said. “Now, what’s next?”  
“We eat,” Vaggie replied grabbing a small sandwich from the tray on the table and sitting back in her chair as she began to take bites out of the sandwich.  
SMACK!  
A long ruler reached across the table slapping Vaggie’s hand and causing her to drop the sandwich on her plate.   
“HEY!” Vaggie yelled angrily. “What was that for?!”  
“Proper ladies do not gorge themselves,” Rosie replied calmly while menacingly slapping the ruler against her hand. “Take smaller bites and use cutlery if you need to.”  
“Cutlery?” Vaggie replied incredulously while rubbing her sore hand. “For a sandwich?”  
“Yes,” Rosie said snapping her fingers and causing her ruler to disappear. “Also, you must ask a servant to pass the plates to you. You never reach for your food.”  
Vaggie looked to her left and to her right and asked, “What servant?”  
Rosie picked up her service bell and gave it a ring. One of her penguin familiars came waddling in.  
Vaggie simply blinked at the penguin coming in.   
The penguin picked up the plate of sandwiches and the pitcher of water and walked over to Rosie who promptly allowed herself to be served.  
Vaggie watched on unimpressed as the penguin waddled over to her and served her as well.  
“You’re really playing up the Mary Poppins vibe,” Vaggie said finally interrupting the silence.   
“Mary Poppins?” Rosie asked. “Who in the world is she?”  
“Nevermind,” Vaggie replied as she picked up her sandwich and began eating it again.  
“Anyway,” Rosie said picking up a sandwich of her own and beginning to munch on it as well. “What shall we do next?”  
The penguin familiar cawed out a suggestion.  
“What a great idea, Mildred!” Rosie said. “We shall get you fitted and go shopping for new dresses at my emporium.”  
“Can we eat first?” Vaggie retorted.   
“Of course,” Rosie said without missing a beat as she picked up a sandwich. “I mean when we’re done, silly.”  
Vaggie rolled her eyes and continued to eat. Rosie quietly did the same until all the food was eaten.  
“There we are,” Rosie said once the last sandwich was eaten. “All full.”  
Praying that she forgot about shopping, Vaggie stood up, walked towards the door, and said, “I don’t know about you, but I feel like a siesta…”  
A line of penguin familiars assembled in front of the door blocking Vaggie’s path.  
“Ah, ah, ah,” Rosie chided. “We must get you fitted.”  
“But I have plenty of dresses back at the hotel,” Vaggie protested. “Why do I need more?”  
“You need a dress for more than a few occasions, dear,” Rosie replied as she stood up and walked towards Vaggie’s direction.   
“I have no money to shop at your overpriced emporium,” Vaggie argued. “Can’t you just get Alastor to go to the hotel and pick up my other clothes?”  
Rosie scoffed and said, “You are not wearing those filthy, disgusting rags anymore. Alastor has already paid me in advance for any dress you might need. No need to worry. There are perks to being a rich man’s wife. Now come along. My car is waiting out front.”  
“Do I have to?” Vaggie whined as Rosie took her arm and began walking with her out of the room while the penguins parted to let them through.  
“Let’s go, dear,” Rosie said ignoring Vaggie’s protest as the two exited the room.


	19. Chapter 19

Soon the penguin chauffeur pulled up to Rosie’s Emporium and let his two passengers out of the ancient car.  
Vaggie grimaced in disgust at the gaudy store but reluctantly followed as Rosie pulled her inside by the hand.  
The store was larger than it looked. The store contained multiple racks with dresses from every era and an interior that matched the design of the store’s exterior.  
“Hello, ladies,” Rosie said to the two lady demons working behind the counter. “I’m helping Alastor’s fiancée out with her shopping. I hope that’s alright.”  
After giving a few nods of affirmation, the ladies went back to their work leaving Rosie to begin looking through the dresses from Alastor’s era humming a merry showtune while Vaggie was standing behind her in absolute boredom.  
“So, how long are we going to be here?” Vaggie asked.  
“Until we have all that we need, dear,” Rosie replied.  
Vaggie realized she could get back to Angel faster if she cooperated so she walked around and started picking out dresses for herself from Alastor’s time period.  
After choosing a considerable number of outfits, Vaggie brought the dresses to Rosie who took the dresses from her and began inspecting them.   
“So, you do have a sense of style,” Rosie said with her mockingly sweet voice. “That is remarkable considering your background.”  
Vaggie resisted the urge to chew out Rosie for her racism and classism and looked away. Her eyes settled on some dresses from more modern times.   
After checking behind her to make sure that Rosie was occupied, Vaggie walked over to the dresses and began checking them out as if she were shopping with Charlie. These dresses were more her taste, but she knew Rosie and Alastor would never let her have them.   
Nevertheless, Vaggie decided she didn’t care. She took a chance and started looking through the newer dresses on the rack. There were many beautiful dresses that ranged from sundresses, maxi dresses, prairie style dresses, and sweater dresses.  
Vaggie picked a sundress up and held it up in front of her reflection in a mirror. Unfortunately, that was when Rosie noticed what she was doing.  
“Vaggie!” Rosie shrieked jarring Vaggie immediately out of her reverie. “What on earth are you holding?”  
“A dress I actually like,” Vaggie retorted turning towards her overseer and holding the dress defensively.   
“Oh, goodness! No!” Rosie chided. “That dress is not an option for you, young lady.”  
“But I’m the ‘bride,’ right?” Vaggie snapped back feeling the anger inside her rising up. “I should get something that I want!”  
“Well, unfortunately, Alastor has a strict dress code for you,” Rosie said grabbing one end of the dress in an attempt to snatch it away. “Now give me the dress.”  
“Dress code?!” Vaggie asked incredulously pulling the other end of the dress towards her. “Alastor’s not my fucking boss!”  
“No, he isn’t,” Rosie replied pulling the dress towards her. “He is your future husband!”  
“Exactly! Not my boss!” Vaggie yelled angrily pulling on the dress.  
“Ladies, please!” a demoness with pale skin and dark green hair clad in black yelled as she ran up to the fighting ladies from behind the counter. “You’ll rip the dress!”  
She distracted Rosie just long enough for Vaggie to pull the dress away from Rosie.  
“I’d like to buy this,” Vaggie said to the sales associate.  
“With what money?” Rosie asked with a cruel smirk.   
Vaggie’s face fell as she realized Rosie was right. Her funds were now out of her reach. Alastor controlled her finances and she had no choice in the matter.  
Vaggie reluctantly handed the dress over to the sales associate and watched her walk away as angry tears blinded her vision.   
Rosie patronizingly placed a hand on Vaggie’s shoulder and said, “There, that wasn’t so hard. Was it? Now, let’s go try on these dresses. If we have time today, we could shop for maternity dresses when we’re done. You’ll need them for those 8 children.”  
“Excuse me?!” Vaggie replied incredulously.  
“Then again, I suppose we could just alter the dresses you have now once you are with child…” Rosie rambled.  
“Absolutely not!” Vaggie snapped. “I’m not carrying his kids!”  
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, dear,” Rosie replied with a condescending smile.   
Vaggie scowled and turned away from Rosie.  
“Right then,” Rosie said taking Vaggie’s arm. “Let’s take you to the dressing room to try on your new dresses.”  
Vaggie remained defiantly silent as Rosie escorted her into the dressing room.  
“Oh, I’m so excited,” Rosie gushed. “We’ll make you look just beautiful. You’ll see.”  
Vaggie simply groaned in response as Rosie hung the 1920’s and 1930’s dresses that Vaggie had picked out on a rack in the large, pink, private curtained dressing room where she had brought her.  
“Alrighty,” Rosie said picking out a dark blue dotted, long-sleeved day dress with a bow tied on the side of the collar from the bunch. “Let’s see which of these dresses fit you the best.”  
“Hopefully none of them,” Vaggie retorted.  
“Oh, Vaggie, it’s not fitting for a maiden to be so grumpy,” Rosie said walking over with the dress. “Especially not one about to be married.”  
“I don’t care,” Vaggie retorted trying to hold her temper.  
“Nah ah ah,” Rosie chided. “That’s not the right attitude, young maiden.”  
“Oh, fuck off,” Vaggie snarled.  
“Vaggie, I must ask you to simmer down or there will be consequences,” Rosie reminded her with a condescending smile.   
Reluctantly, Vaggie took a deep breath and said, “Fine.”  
“Good. Now, let’s take off your dress…”  
“What? No. Not with you watching.”  
“It’s alright, dearie. We’re both ladies.”  
Vaggie tensed up nervously as Rosie walked up behind her with the new dress draped over her arm and unzipped her dress from behind.  
“Oh, Vaggie, don’t be so silly,” Rosie said as she pulled down the other dress and gently pushed Vaggie forward causing her to stumble over the garment on the floor so she could pick up the old dress. “Now, arms up.”  
Vaggie groaned sadly as she did what she was told. In a minute, Vaggie was in the dress. She reluctantly had to admit that it didn’t look bad on her, but she refused to give Rosie the satisfaction of a smile.  
Rosie stepped back, looked at her assisting penguin familiar, and asked, “Mildred, what do you think?”  
The small penguin clapped her flippers and cawed in an excited tone.  
“I think the same,” Rosie said with a smile. “What do you think, Vaggie?”  
“It’s okay I suppose,” Vaggie said unemotionally. “Can we move on to the other dresses?”  
“Of course,” Rosie said merrily picking up a long, short-sleeved blue dress. “We have many more dresses for you to try on before the day is through.”  
Vaggie sighed in defeat looking at the pile of dresses on the chair, only a few of which she actually liked. She didn’t want to be there, but for Angel’s sake, she complied.  
Soon, all the dresses had been tried on and Rosie had selected the best ones for Vaggie, who was standing there in a black and white flapper day frock and matching black hat.  
“So, are we done?” Vaggie asked. “Do we go home now?”  
“Oh, no, Vaggie,” Rosie replied. “Now, we have to pick out party dresses.”  
Vaggie‘s face fell in absolute disappointment and she sighed in frustration.  
“Oh, Vaggie, don’t you want to look pretty for the auction? Why the long face?” Rosie asked disapprovingly. “You’re the guest of honor after all.”  
“To be honest, I’d rather attend my own funeral,” Vaggie said bluntly.  
Rosie frowned and asked, “Vaggie, why should you have such an attitude?”  
“I’m being forced to attend this party against my will,” Vaggie said grumpily trying to hide as much of her anger as possible.  
“Oh, quit acting so spoiled,” Rosie said picking up Vaggie’s dresses so that she could carry them up front.  
“Spoiled?!” Vaggie asked beginning to lose her temper. “You think I’m spoiled?!”  
“Well, you are acting like a spoiled child right now…” Rosie goaded.  
“Dios mio!” Vaggie finally snapped. “Speak for yourself! You’re forcing a woman who’s already in a relationship to get married to a psychotic kingpin!”  
“Oh, please, you could have done much better than Princess Charlie…”  
“Hold on! What’s wrong with Charlie?!”  
“Do I really need to go into detail? Besides, you’re the granddaughter of a high priest while she’s the daughter of the Devil himself. You belong in different worlds. She probably has dozens of suitors among her social class that would suit her just fine. You’re better off with Alastor…”  
“No, I’m not! Charlie loves me for who I am…”  
“Sure, she does…”  
“I know she does, and that’s more than I could ever say for your worthless, soulless, despicable bastard of a best friend!” Vaggie spat back.  
“Is that so?” Rosie said in a disapproving tone that let Vaggie knew she had effed up big time.   
But unable to hold herself back, Vaggie continued her rant, “Yes, it’s the truth and you know it. I know you don’t care what I think, so I don’t care what you think either!”  
“I see,” Rosie said with a smug and devious smile. “I wonder what Alastor will think of this outburst…”  
Vaggie simply scoffed and replied, “Alastor already knows I hate him. What difference would it make?”  
“It will make a difference for Angel,” Rosie replied with a sadistic smile.  
Vaggie’s face fell in shock. Her big eyes grew wider in horror.  
“No…” Vaggie managed to get out. “I didn’t do anything…”  
“Yes, you did,” Rosie said gripping Vaggie’s wrist tightly and dragging her to the counter behind her. “You had your chance to get rid of that attitude of yours and now your behavior is going to cause Angel to be punished.”  
“No, please!” Vaggie yelled pulling back against Vaggie’s grip.  
“Don’t make this any worse than it is,” Rosies said ignoring Vaggie’s thrashing.   
“No!” Vaggie yelled. “I will not let you hurt Angel!”  
Then without another word, she bit Rosie causing her to let her go and dashed for the door.   
Unfortunately, that was when Vaggie heard a snap and felt her limbs get wrapped tightly against her body before falling to the floor. She looked up in horror to discover she had been literally mummified alive in ribbons with a bow over her mouth to gag her.   
Rosie walked over to her as the moth demon thrashed around helplessly like a trapped animal, picked up the hat that had fallen from Vaggie’s head, and sighed wearily before turning to her penguin familiar and saying, “Mildred, will you be a dear and take Vaggie back to the car while I pay for these dresses?”  
Mildred cawed and carried Vaggie back to the car while the latter struggled fiercely.


	20. Chapter 20

Later, back at the mansion, Vaggie was laying still mummified in ribbons on her bed while Alastor and Rosie had a talk about her behavior.   
Vaggie’s mind was in a state of panic. There was no way she could help Angel right now. There was nothing she could do. She couldn’t even warn him.  
Knock! Knock! Knock!  
Vaggie turned her head over to hear knocking on the other side of her bathroom wall followed by “Vaggie, Vaggie, are you there?! What’s going on?!”  
“Mmmmmmmph!” Vaggie yelled from behind her gag.   
“Oh, I know that noise,” Angel replied sadly. “You’ve been gagged again, huh? Well, it sounds like you’re in trouble from what I’ve heard our wardens say outside. How ever they punish you, don’t let them see you cry, babe. Stay strong until it’s over and I’ll be right here to comfort you when they’re done.”  
“Mmmmmmmpppppppphhhhhhhhh!” Vaggie cried helplessly from behind her gag.   
There was nothing she could do but pray.  
Suddenly, Vaggie and Angel heard the locks to Angel’s room being opened.   
Angel looked up in surprise and then anger as they opened the door to the bathroom to find him with crutches leaning against the bathroom wall.  
“You bastards are sick. You know that?” Angel snarled.  
“What ever do you mean, my dear Angel?” Rosie asked with thinly-concealed malice as Alastor gestured for him to return to his bed.   
“Vaggie says something you don’t like and you punish her by hurting me,” Angel replied reluctantly using his crutches to hobble his way back to the bed. “That’s sick and not in a good way.”  
As soon as Angel made his way to the bed, Alastor tossed aside Angel’s crutches and said, “Oh, Angel, you’re quite rude considering I’ve made you a guest in my home. I do believe some manners need to be taught to you as well.”  
Angel scoffed and said seductively, “Oh, daddy! Are you going to punish me again?”  
Alastor chuckled and said, “Not exactly. I can’t exactly damage my main auction prize. Can I?”  
“Oh, if I may make a suggestion, how about injecting his bloodstream with a non-fatal poison of my own invention?” Rosie suggested merrily. “It’ll make him feel as though he’s on fire!”  
“My dear Rosie, under any other circumstances, I would say yes, but this time, I must decline,” Alastor replied placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “You see, as fun as that sounds, dear, that type of thing could significantly delay his healing process. A poison like that might damage his nerves too badly. Don’t you have anything that could make his healing process more painful? Perhaps a serum that heals its patients in an unusual way?”  
“I have just the thing!” Rosie said cheerfully. “It’s a potion that heals bones in the most agonizing way imaginable.”  
“Oh, Rosie, dear, that sounds just perfect!” Alastor replied jovially. “Which bone should we heal?”  
“How about his ribs?”  
“I healed those already.”  
“Oh, that’s right…Oh, I know! How about his pelvis? You injured that as well when you were playing with him. Didn’t you?”  
“That’s right! But don’t give me all the credit, dear. You did a number on it when you played with him, too. We both damaged it.”  
“Alrighty, then. The pelvis, it is. What do you think, Angel?”   
Alastor and Rosie turned to Angel waiting for his response, but Angel only scoffed and said, “Whatever…”  
“Mmmmmmmmpppppppphhhhhhh!” Vaggie screamed struggling desperately to escape from her ribbons.  
Her struggling managed to get her to fall off the bed onto the ground.   
Vaggie sighed about ready to give into her helpless situation until she saw her open bathroom on the other side of the room and came up with another plan.   
She wriggled her cocooned body inch by inch into the bathroom until she reached the wall separating her bathroom from Angel’s and kicked the door with all her might.  
“Alastor, did you hear something?” Rosie asked as she finished sending her text message to her penguin familiar.   
“Oh, that’s just Vaggie trying to stop us,” Alastor replied nonchalantly.  
“What should we do about it?” Rosie asked with a wicked smirk on her face.  
“Why, let her hear the punishment, of course,” Alastor said merrily.  
“All tied up on the floor like that?” Rosie asked raising an eyebrow. “Oh, Alastor, you really are too cruel.”  
“Jesus Christ, you two are annoying,” Angel finally said in annoyance. “You talk a big talk while doin’ absolutely nothin’. If you’re gonna do something, why don’t you do it already? I’m so fuckin’ bored. I could use the action. Hey, Vaggie! You don’t have to worry about me. You know I love pain.”  
Vaggie, however, continued thrashing around on the floor breaking free from the ribbons. She didn’t care that Angel claimed to enjoy pain. Vaggie knew that Alastor and Rosie’s “treatment” would go beyond whatever threshold of pain Angel could manage.  
“Is the serum here yet?” Alastor asked.  
“Just a moment,” Rosie said turning away and walking out of the room.  
Once Rosie left the room, Angel sat himself up on the bed off the wall with the support of his one good arm and said, “Hey, Alastor. Can I ask you something?”  
Alastor chuckled out loud and replied, “And what shall you humor me with this time, Angel?”  
Vaggie stopped struggling and listened in.  
“It’s about Vaggie,” Angel said. “You need to lay off her.”  
“Hmmmm?” Alastor asked raising an eyebrow.  
“You and I both know Vaggie’s a tough cookie, but she’s been alive longer than she’s been dead,” Angel began. “She ain’t used to the kind of abuse we are. At least, not yet. You can’t keep being this cruel to her if you want her to love you back. She’ll snap. You need to let her go…”  
“I know what you’re doing,” Alastor interrupted. “And it’s not going to work.”  
“What are you saying, handsome?” Angel asked with a flirtatious smile.  
“I am trying to tame the shrew out of Vaggie, not coddle it,” Alastor replied.  
Angel scoffed and said, “I know. We’ve been reading your book. Vaggie’s not Kate, and you’re no Petruchio.”  
Alastor chuckled out loud and said, “So, you say…”  
“Oh, Alastor!” Rosie called out merrily as she re-entered the room with a syringe in her hand. “I’ve got the serum!”  
“Oh, goodie,” Alastor said in an upbeat tone that was just as merry. “Let’s get this treatment going.”  
Angel’s eyes narrowed in a determined glare as Rosie uncovered the syringe and he continued his defiant tirade, “You need to read the book again because you seem to have missed the most important point. Kate never changes. She only learns how to act, but I doubt you’ll ever reach that point with Vaggie. You see, Kate was a spoiled brat. Vaggie’s an El Salvadoran woman who learned to fight her way through life’s…”  
Just then, Rosie injected the serum into Angel’s pelvis. The pain was almost instantaneous.  
Angel didn’t show the pain he was in at first. He only started moaning in pleasure. Then, all of a sudden, the broken bits of his pelvis started moving, yanking and stretching his muscles.  
Angel immediately grabbed his pillow and held it over his face so he could bite into the fluff and hide his tears.  
Unfortunately, Rosie snatched the pillow out of Angel’s hand as Alastor snapped his fingers causing shackles to hold Angel’s arms above his head so that Vaggie could hear Angel’s screams of agony.   
Vaggie squirmed around and moaned in a panic.   
After a few moments of screaming and groaning at having his broken arms chained to the wall, Angel heard Vaggie’s muffled screams as she struggled on the other side of the bathroom wall.   
That made Angel all the more determined. He shut his mouth and refused to keep screaming. When Angel couldn’t hold it in, he lowered his head down and bit down on his fluff much to the chagrin of his captors.  
On the other side of the bathroom wall, Vaggie was feeling distraught.  
Alastor sighed in disappointment and said, “Oh, why isn’t Angel screaming?”  
“He’s stopping himself from screaming,” Rosie replied. “And we both know the reason why.”   
“Well, obviously,” Alastor said nonchalantly noticing the blood trickling from Angel’s chest. “Angel’s doing it for Vaggie.”  
“Oh, how sweet,” Rosie said with a mockingly sweet tone in her voice. “Angel must truly care about her.”  
“Indeed,” Alastor said clenching his teeth in frustration.  
“It’s so charming how strong he is trying to be,” Rosie noted. “I think I might be in love…”  
“Go fuck yourselves!” Angel suddenly cried out before going back to gnawing on his chest fur.   
“Well, that was not very nice, love,” Rosie said with a bemused chuckle.   
“Angel, you are not cooperating,” Alastor said with a judgmental head shake. “That is not good.”  
Angel ignored the comment and only bit down harder before Rosie chimed in with, “Oh, Alastor, dear. If I may make a suggestion, why don’t you go into the other room and comfort your bride-to -be? I’ll make Angel cooperate.”  
“How ever will you do that?” Alastor asked.   
“Oh, I’ll tell you after the fact,” Rosie said leering at Angel. “I want it to be a surprise.”  
“In that case, Rosie, my dear, have at him,” Alastor said as he turned away and walked to the door. “I shall go see my darling bride.”  
Vaggie panicked and began thrashing around more wildly in a desperate attempt to free herself. Unfortunately, the ribbons wrapped around her didn’t budge or move.   
Vaggie sat there in dread as she heard Alastor enter her room and open the door to her bathroom.  
“Oh, my darling wife! What are you doing rolling around on the floor like that?” Alastor exclaimed scooping up Vaggie in his arms and sitting himself at her spot on the floor against the wall. “I may have your room cleaned daily, but still…This is no place for any wife of mine.”  
Vaggie struggled fiercely to escape Alastor’s hold only for him to hold her snuggly and whisper, “Calm down, dearest. I’m here now.”  
Vaggie only scowled at Alastor and continued to struggle harder.  
Alastor wrapped his arms more tightly around Vaggie and said, “Lie still, my love, and listen to the show.”  
All of a sudden, Angel let out a blood-curdling scream from the other side of the wall.  
Vaggie was paralyzed with fear, but Alastor sighed in contentment and said, “There, we go.”  
Vaggie’s shock wore off and she continued struggling against her restraints and her fiancé’s hold as Angel continued screaming in agony.  
“Are you going to behave for Rosie now, beloved Kate?” Alastor abruptly asked ignoring Vaggie’s struggles.   
Vaggie quit struggling for a moment and laid there against Alastor’s torso submitting to his hold as she felt the tears roll from her eyes.  
Alastor wiped them away, stroked the top of Vaggie’s head, and said, “That’s a good girl…”  
“NO! YOU AIN’T HIS FUCKING KATE, VAGGIE! DON’T GIVE HIM WHAT HE WANTS…AHHHHHHH!” Angel suddenly cried out before the crack of a whip interrupted his outburst.  
“Shut up!” Rosie yelled from the other side of the wall.  
Angel continued screaming for another moment before everything went silent and the only noise that could be heard was Angel plopping back onto his bed free from his restraints.  
Alastor, stood up, picked up Vaggie and said, “Now, Kate, I am a husband for your turn, For, by this light, whereby I see thy beauty- Thy beauty that doth make me like thee well - Thou must be married to no man but me...”  
Vaggie’s frightened eyes settled into an angry glare as Alastor carried her out of the bathroom and continued his Shakespeare recital, “For I am he born to tame you, Kate, and bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate Conformable as other household Kate’s.”  
“Mmmmmmmppphhhhh!” Vaggie cried out furiously behind her gag as she struggled more tremendously than ever to escape Alastor’s hold and her ribbons.  
Without another word, Alastor laid Vaggie back on her bed and left the room.   
Vaggie continued her struggle to break free until she heard Alastor talking to Rosie in the hallway.  
“The serum worked, Alastor,” Rosie said shutting and locking the door to Angel’s room. “Angel’s pelvis is all healed.”  
“Good work, Rosie, my dear,” Alastor said cheerfully. “You may release Vaggie now.”  
Rosie snapped her fingers causing the grey ribbons mummifying Vaggie’s body to unravel. In an instant, the ribbons had released Vaggie from their hold, slithered down the bed and across the floor, and went under the door to return to the master who summoned them.  
“Enjoy the rest of your evening, Vaggie,” Alastor called out from the hallway. “Dinner will be sent to your room shortly. Rosie and I will be dining downstairs.”  
“Do be sure to rest, dear,” Rosie added in a merry tone. “We’ll be continuing your etiquette classes tomorrow.”  
“Goodnight!” Alastor called out as he and Rosie finally walked away.


	21. Much Needed Bonding Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vaggie and Angel's friendship is the only good thing to come out of this situation.

Vaggie waited until the couple had walked away before she rushed into the bathroom to check on Angel.  
“Angel?” Vaggie asked fearfully. “Angel, are you alright?”  
Vaggie heard Angel get up from his bed, use his crutches to hobble himself into the bathroom, and sit down against the wall.  
“I’m better now,” Angel said between ragged breaths from the other side of the wall. “I can sit on my ass again, so at least, that’s something.”  
Vaggie sighed sadly and said, “Angel, I’m so sorry…”  
“It’s fine, baby girl,” Angel interrupted reassuringly. “It’s not your fault. Besides, I’m used to the pain. You know that.”  
Vaggie smiled sadly. She knew Angel was staying strong for her. He had much more inner strength than she ever realized…  
“Angel?” Vaggie asked nervously. “What did Rosie do to make you scream?”  
“If you must know, that slut grinded herself against my crotch,” Angel said audibly shuddering. “It made me feel agonizing pain.”  
“That bitch,” Vaggie snarled angrily. “I hate her so much. She spent the better part of the day literally lecturing me about etiquette and how I needed to follow all these 100-year-old rules to be Alastor’s perfect trophy wife.”  
“Oh, God,” Angel replied. “That sounds awful. How did you take it?”  
Vaggie scoffed and said, “Not very well. I know. Big surprise, right? I’ve been pushing Rosie’s patience all day. She and Alastor punished you in the most painful way imaginable just because I said something about Alastor she didn’t like when we went shopping for dresses. I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help it. She insulted Charlie.”  
“I don’t blame ya,” Angel replied.  
“Before that, Rosie made sit through a boring lunch and the same boring lecture twice in a row…” Vaggie ranted.  
“Wait, twice in a row?” Angel asked confusedly.  
“I drew an offensive doodle of Rosie instead of listening to her lecture the first time through,” Vaggie admitted. “That’s probably why they made sure to make sure to make your punishment more painful…”  
To Vaggie’s surprise, Angel started laughing. He laughed for a good minute eventually pushing Vaggie to begin giggling herself.  
“Oh, my God!” Angel said finally taking a breath. “That’s hilarious, doll. I can just imagine that look on that bitch’s face. Tell me. Was she pissed?”  
“Absolutely livid,” Vaggie said.  
“Oh, man,” Angel said. “I wish I could see it for myself.”  
Vaggie’s eye then noticed the old-fashioned vent on the ground. She got on her knees to look at it, and as she examined it, she got an idea.  
Vaggie picked up the vent grating, set it aside, and looked into the shaft. It looked like it also connected to Angel's room, so out of curiosity, she reached her arm down and to the right as far as she could.  
“Vaggie, what are you doing?” Angel asked.   
“Angel, look into the shaft of your vent,” Vaggie said. “Do you see my hand?”  
Angel looked down into the vent shaft and saw Vaggie’s waving hand.  
“Yeah, I see it,” Angel replied. “What are you doing?”  
Vaggie smiled and said, “Wait a second.”  
She stood up, ran back to her room, grabbed the notebook off the dresser, and headed back into the bathroom.  
Vaggie then tore her drawing of Rosie out of her notebook, wadded it into a ball, and stuck it into the vent making sure to roll the wadded-up ball as close to Angel as possible.  
“Angel, I sent you something,” Vaggie said. “Check it out.”  
Angel opened the vent on his side, leaned over with his one good arm, picked up the crumpled paper ball, unfolded it, and started laughing hysterically.  
Vaggie chuckled with him and asked, “You like it?”  
“Vags,” Angel said. “This is absolute gold!”  
“Well, I had to do something to stay awake,” Vaggie said laying back against the wall. “That lecture was so goddamn boring! You should have heard the nonsense she was spouting then and while she made me try on all those old clothes at the store.”  
“Did you take any real notes, babe?” Angel asked.  
“Yeah, do you wanna hear Rosie’s bullshit etiquette advice?” Vaggie asked with a smile in her voice.   
“Fuck yeah,” Angel said. “It ain’t like we have anything better to do.”  
Vaggie picked up her notebook, turned the page to her notes, and read out loud in as posh a tone as she could muster, “Shoulders back, feet flat on the ground, back straight…”  
“It sounds like she said that a lot,” Angel interrupted.   
“You have no idea,” Vaggie said making her aggravation clear through her voice.  
“Oh, do tell me more,” Angel teased.  
“Maintain your beauty and your personal appearance to your husband’s taste,” Vaggie read. “As a wife, you owe it to your husband to remain pleasing to him to retain his respect and his love.”  
“Jesus Christ,” Angel muttered with a chuckle. “Are you his wife or his employee?”   
“That’s what I said,” Vaggie retorted.  
“Keep going,” Angel goaded.   
“A lady doesn’t eat like an animal,” Vaggie continued reading. “She uses her cutlery and her manners.”  
“Fair point,” Angel replied. “Fair point, but you don't eat like an animal anyway. Why the hell does she need to teach you that?”  
“I don’t know,” Vaggie said in frustration. “She yelled at me for not properly introducing myself as Alastor's fiancée. “God! You should have heard her lecture me on modesty!”  
Angel scoffed and said, “You? Modest? Was she serious?”  
“She was dead fucking serious,” Vaggie replied with a groan before she read from her notebook again. “‘Ladies do not use profanity. It is unbecoming. Do not raise your voice unless you're spoken to and given permission by your husband. Do not make your feelings known. It is a mark of good breeding to suppress undue emotion, whether of disappointment, of mortification, or laughter, of anger, or of selfishness in any form. Do not make any vulgar comments. Don't laugh too loud...’ Oh, my God!”  
“That shoulda killed ya,” Angel said.   
“It almost did,” Vaggie replied. “I had to stay calm or Alastor would have made me watch his familiars hurt you again. No, the shopping is what killed me. She only let me pick out these old ass dresses from the ‘30s…No offense.”  
Angel cackled and said, “None taken.”  
“I wanted another dress, but she ripped it away from me because of Alastor’s dress code,” Vaggie continued sadly. “God, I couldn’t believe it. It’s something that seems so petty, but it was so humiliating. It was like I wasn’t even a person. It’s hard to explain...”  
“It’s like you only existed to be someone else’s object? Like you didn’t have a will of your own? Like your only purpose was to please an asshole you don’t even care about?” Angel replied with unexpected sorrow behind his voice.  
Vaggie fell silent.  
“Believe me, babe,” Angel continued. “I know exactly how you feel. That was my whole fucking life.”  
“It was?”  
“Yeah, my father was the same. He had a rule for everything. I was a son of the don. I had no choice. I lied about being the firstborn son earlier, but I still had a role I had to play and hated every minute of it. I had to be fucking perfect for his goddamn mob, and he hated me when he realized I wasn’t his perfect son like Arackniss was. That I was a fag. He tried to change me. My mother kept him back until she died. God rest her soul. But then, he went into overdrive. He poured all his hatred into my big turd of a brother and made him hate me, too. The two of them did all they could to control my life. The only one I could talk to was Molly, but she was losing her mind. I was too until that night I overdosed. I tried to do all he asked, but not a fucking thing I did was ever good enough for him.”  
“Oh, my God. Angel, I had no idea.”  
“I don’t exactly like to talk about it. Why do you think I’m strung up most of the time? It’s funny. I’ve stayed away from both their asses for the past 73 years only for me to become the property of another no-good motherfucker…”  
“Valentino?”  
Angel paused with a sad smile and said, “You really do know everything.”  
“You are the most popular porn star in all of Hell,” Vaggie said.  
“More like most popular prostitute and slave to the most powerful pimp,” Angel said with a scoff. “God, you think I would have figured it out after the first time. I’ve fucked up enough for both lifetimes. I’ll be much happier when I’m in heaven with my ma, finally on good terms with God, and have a dimension separating me and all those other fuckers.”  
Vaggie remained quiet for a moment before flipping to a blank page, writing on the blank page, tearing it out, folding it up, and slipping the slip of paper to Angel through the vent.  
Angel reached into the vent, picked up the piece of paper, and read: “Charlie and your mother would be so proud of you.”  
Angel smiled and felt an unexpected tear come to his eye as he said, “I love you too, Vaggie.”  
Just then, Vaggie heard a door open and the sound of a cart being pushed in.  
“Angel?!” Vaggie asked nervously.  
“There’s nothing on my end, babe,” Angel said. “It’s on yours. Just stay right here next to me.”  
Vaggie sat next to the wall nervously. But just as soon as the cart rolled in, the noise stopped, and the door shut and locked again.   
“It’s gone,” Vaggie said. “But I need to investigate.”  
“Vaggie, I’d rather you didn’t,” Angel pleaded.   
Vaggie stood up and said, “I have to get out of this bathroom eventually. Besides, I think I know what it is.”  
Before Angel could protest, Vaggie exited the bathroom and saw the cart before her. It was just a simple dinner cart with a large bottle of water and a plate of food covered by a silver lid. She lifted the tray and saw a dinner plate of Southern comfort food. Fried chicken, fried okra, green beans, and macaroni and cheese.  
“What?!” Angel exclaimed in surprise.  
“What is it?” Vaggie asked anxiously as she picked up her tray and carried it to the bathroom.  
“Another smoothie like the one Alastor drugged me with earlier just appeared out of nowhere,” Angel said. “Must be my dinner.”  
“Dinner?” Vaggie said angrily. “Alastor gave me a tray of food. Why isn’t he giving you anything to eat?”  
Angel scoffed and said, “Isn’t it obvious, doll? Alastor has me on a liquid diet. He’s trying to starve me to make me weaker and more compliant. I know it. Valentino has used this method of torture on me before.”  
Vaggie furrowed her brow and said, “Wait a second.”  
Angel complied setting his smoothie down on top of the toilet lid as he settled back in his spot.   
Angel then heard the sound of another paper ball being rolled in his direction through the vent. He looked down into the vent, picked up the ball, and unwrapped the paper to find a fried chicken drumstick.   
Without a second’s hesitation, Angel scarfed down the chicken until the bone was picked clean.  
“Thanks, Vaggie,” Angel said.  
“There’s more where that came from,” Vaggie said crumpling up more paper balls of food for Angel. “But you need to give me back the bone first.”  
“Why?” Angel asked confusedly.  
“So that Alastor doesn’t suspect anything because of a missing bone,” Vaggie replied.  
Angel smiled, rolled the bone back into the paper, rolled it back to Vaggie in the vent, and said, “You’re quite the clever bitch. I underestimated ya.”  
“Well, you don’t survive being a prostitute in the slums of El Salvador by being stupid,” Vaggie said picking up the paper ball with the bone and rolling some okra in a paper ball back to Angel.  
“So, you really were a whore, huh?” Angel said picking up the paper ball and unwrapping it to find okra inside. “I’m sorry. I just can’t imagine you letting any douchebag do you for money.”  
“I was a very different person six years ago. I’m not exactly proud of it,” Vaggie said preparing more paper balls for Angel. “Make sure you leave no trash. I don’t wanna imagine what Alastor and Rosie would do should they find out about any of this.”  
“Gotcha,” Angel said. “Just like dumping a stash of drugs in the old days.”  
Angel scarfed down his food, threw the paper in the toilet, used toilet paper to sweep up any crumbs that were left, threw that away, and flushed the toilet.  
“Good work,” Vaggie said as she finished rolling the last paper ball of food. “I’m almost done rolling all the paper balls. Get ready.”   
“Thanks,” Angel said. “And for the record, I was a very different person too about 73 years ago.”  
After doing some quick math, Vaggie replied, “1947?”  
“Yep,” Angel replied. “2014?”  
“Yes,” Vaggie said opening the vent to roll all the paper balls to Angel. “Get ready, Angel. I’m sending the food over now.”  
“You’re a saint, Vaggie,” Angel said. “I don’t know how to thank ya.”  
“Keep recovering until we can escape,” Vaggie replied rolling the paper balls through the vent. “That’ll be thanks enough. That, and maybe, start taking your redemption work at the hotel more seriously.”  
Angel scoffed as he picked up all his paper balls and said, “I tracked you down here, got captured trying to save you, and still insisted on not leaving without you even though I was given the chance to escape. Doesn’t that count for anything?”  
Vaggie paused for a moment as she settled in on her side to eat her half of the food before she replied, “You know what? I think you’re right. You just might be closer to repentance than I thought.”  
“Awww, what a sincere compliment,” Angel retorted facetiously. “I’m flattered.”  
“Don’t get used to it,” Vaggie replied sarcastically prompting Angel to chuckle to himself before they both returned to eating her food.  
The pair ate in silence until all the food was devoured and Angel had properly cleaned up his side and re-covered his vent.  
When they were done, Angel asked, “Did you get enough to eat, babe?”  
“Yeah,” Vaggie replied placing the last of the bones on her plate and covering the vent. “Don’t worry about it.”  
Vaggie stood up, exited the bathroom, and replaced the platter on the cart. As soon as she did, the cart magically sped away. The door opened by itself to let it out, then locked itself again once the cart was gone.  
Vaggie sighed as she sat on the bed to figure out what to do next. That was when she noticed the book The Taming of the Shrew sitting on the vanity. Not having anything better to do, Vaggie picked up the book and carried it to the bathroom.  
“Guess what I found on my vanity?” Vaggie asked.  
“The Taming of the Shrew?” Angel asked.  
“Yep,” Vaggie replied unenthusiastically. “I must have held on to it when Rosie was dragging me up here.”  
“That, or Alastor is being about as subtle as a bat to the face,” Angel replied with a scoff.  
Vaggie snorted and replied, “No kidding. Do you want me to read it to you this time?”  
“Sure, I don’t mind hearing it,” Angel replied standing up. “I can translate the bits you don’t understand. Just wait a moment for me to grab my pillow and blankets. Sitting on this floor is murder.”  
“Alright,” Vaggie replied standing up and heading into her room to do the same thing.   
Vaggie grabbed her blankets and pillows and set up a bed on the floor right next to the vent.   
When she turned away to brush her teeth, Angel asked, “What are you doing, babe?”  
“I made a bed, so I could sleep closer to you,” Vaggie said picking up her toothbrush and turning on and off the sink to make it wet before she put on the toothpaste.  
“Awww, you do have a soft side,” Angel gushed.  
“Shut up,” Vaggie said turning away to brush her teeth amidst Angel’s chuckles.   
When Vaggie was done, she shut off the light and settled into her bed. Angel did the same in his while Vaggie began reading the play from the last place they had left off.


	22. Chapter 22

The next morning, Rosie unlocked the door to Vaggie’s room, stepped inside, and switched on the light.  
“Oh, Vaggie dear, it’s time to…huh?” Rosie entered the room only to discover that Vaggie wasn’t sleeping in her bed.   
Upon closer inspection, Rosie noticed that Vaggie’s blanket and pillows weren’t on the bed either.   
“Oh, my dear, little Vaggie, where could you be?” Rosie wondered aloud.  
Rosie checked under the bed and inside the wardrobe.   
Upon seeing that Vaggie was not in either of those places, Rosie opened the door to look inside the bathroom and found Vaggie curled up on the bathroom floor wrapped in her blanket and sleeping soundly.   
Rosie breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped in the bathroom and flicked on the light switch. She watched Vaggie sleep for a few more moments before she cleared her throat.   
Vaggie remained deeply asleep completely ignoring the bright light on the bathroom ceiling.   
“Vaggie, dear,” Rosie said gently. “It’s time to wake up.”  
Vaggie began coming to, but after letting her eyes flit open, she responded by curling up tighter into a ball in her makeshift bed.  
“Vaggie, sweetie, I know you can hear me,” Rosie beckoned in a more commanding tone. “It’s time to wake up. Come on. Don’t dilly dally.”  
Vaggie moaned, but she sat up on her bed to look at her warden.  
“Good morning, dear,” Rosie said in her deceptively pleasant manner. “Why ever are you sleeping on the floor when you have a bed in the other room?”   
Despite her grogginess, Vaggie glared back at Rosie and replied, “Because I want to be close to my only actual friend in this prison.”  
Rosie simply laughed and said, "But sweetie, sleeping on the floor is so unsanitary.”  
Vaggie rolled her eyes, yawned, and replied, “I don’t give a fuck.”  
“Vaggie, you need to mind your manners if you and Angel don’t want to get in trouble again,” Rosie replied.   
Realizing she was right, Vaggie reluctantly stood up to face Rosie.  
“That’s more like it,” Rosie said merrily. “Now, hand me those items so that we can clean them. Then, I want you to clean yourself up for another day of etiquette while I tend to Angel.”  
“You had better not…” Vaggie spat back before Rosie interrupted.  
“Oh, don’t worry, dear,” Rosie said. “I won’t hurt him. Quite the opposite. I simply plan on tending to his wounds and moving him back to his bed. I promise. That is, as long as you do what I say.”  
Seeing as she had no other choice, Vaggie picked up her blankets and pillow off the floor and handed those items to Rosie before getting shut in the bathroom and starting to get ready for the day.  
Vaggie knew that for the time being she had to be obedient, so that was what she would do until she found another opportunity to escape.  
Vaggie spent the day being perfectly compliant no matter what Rosie asked her to do. She didn’t talk back. She never got violent. She only spoke when she was spoken to. She used all her manners for every meal she dined with Rosie since Alastor was absent.   
According to Rosie, Vaggie’s behavior was impeccable. It remained impeccable until she was returned to her room to spend another night talking to Angel through the wall in their bathrooms where they once again fell asleep until the next morning.


	23. Chapter 23

The next day, everything was the same for most of the day. Vaggie sat through a boring breakfast followed by a boring lecture followed by a boring lunch, another dreadful lecture, and a mind-numbingly dull tea time.  
Said tea time was back in the tea room Vaggie was dragged to bound and gagged on the first evening of her captivity.   
Rosie was, without a doubt, attempting to get a reaction out of Vaggie by trying to trigger a traumatic memory, but Vaggie didn’t say a word or even act surprised.   
Rosie almost sounded disappointed as she sat down at the table and chatted about various uninteresting topics to help Vaggie “improve her conversation skills” while her penguin familiars poured their tea and served their snacks.  
Vaggie had to keep herself from smiling. Rosie was trying so hard to upset her with her passive aggression. It was pathetic. It was almost funny enough to warrant a laugh.   
The tea time went on as it had the day before.   
Rosie was chatting and lecturing about manners, etiquette around the kingpins, and seemingly the most uninteresting topics she could come up with.   
Vaggie was sitting at the table, taking notes, and covertly drawing maps to keep her mind occupied, occasionally speaking only when Rosie asked her a question. She stayed composed like the little sidepiece she was supposed to be and counted the hours until she could return to her room to talk to Angel through the walls again.   
All was proceeding as normal until Alastor suddenly came in through the door.  
“Oh, Alastor, you’re back. How wonderful!” Rosie said cheerfully. “I didn’t think you would be returning until tomorrow.”  
“Well, I got my work done earlier than I had originally planned, so I thought I’d come home to be with two of my favorite ladies,” Alastor said merrily walking over and sitting himself down in the chair between Rosie and Vaggie.   
“Oh, Alastor, you flatter me,” Rosie said squirting a bit of hand sanitizer into Alastor’s waiting hands.   
“Don’t be so modest, Rosie,” Alastor said rubbing his hands together. “You deserve so much more for how you’ve been helping my beloved fiancée. Speaking of which…”  
Alastor wrapped an arm around Vaggie who unsuccessfully tried to pull away to get as far away from his face as his hold would allow.  
“Vaggie, my love,” Alastor said nuzzling his face against Vaggie’s. “Oh, how I’ve missed you! Tell me, dear. How have you been, my sweet, beautiful darling?”  
Vaggie couldn’t suppress a low growl as she attempted again to pull away from his hold.  
“Oh, Rosie, how has Vaggie been behaving?” Alastor asked Rosie. “Has my precious dove been well-behaved?”  
“Yes, surprisingly,” Rosie said. “She hasn’t committed a single faux pas since you left.”  
“What fantastic news!” Alastor said continuing to nuzzle his cheek on Vaggie’s. “Now, I don’t need to return your presents.”  
“Presents?” Vaggie asked finally getting a hand in between her cheek and Alastor’s so she could push him off. “What presents?”  
Alastor clapped his hand and the door opened letting in several familiars holding more vintage clothing for Vaggie.  
Vaggie stared dumbfounded as she finally pushed Alastor off her and asked, “So, you bought me more dresses? How thoughtful.”  
“Oh, but these aren’t just any dresses, dear,” Alastor replied as Vaggie took a sip of her tea. “These are maternity dresses!”  
Vaggie instantly spat out her tea in shock drenching Rosie across the table.  
“Vaggie!” Rosie chided angrily before Alastor held up a hand to stop her.  
“Are you alright, Vaggie?” Alastor asked handing Vaggie a napkin while Rosie annoyedly wiped herself off.  
“Not really,” Vaggie said sarcastically before coming up with an idea. “But I think I’ll feel much better if I lie down. May I please return to my room?”  
Alastor’s eyes softened in concern as he sat up in his chair, took Vaggie’s hand, and said, “Of course, Vagatha, my dear. That will give you a chance to rest before I take you on another outing.”  
Vaggie’s eyes grew wider as she stood up, picked up her notebook, and said in the meekest voice she could manage, “You mean, I’ll get to leave the house?”  
“Yes, my love,” Alastor said taking Vaggie’s arm in his. “And, Rosie? You’ll get to come with us too if you’d like.”  
“Oh, Alastor, nothing would delight me more,” Rosie replied having returned to her jovial mood. “But where are we going?”  
“I will discuss that once I’ve returned my fair fiancée to her bedroom,” Alastor replied. “I want it to be a surprise.”  
“Oh, I understand,” Rosie said resting her back against her chair. “How fun! Have a nice nap, Vaggie.”  
“Thank you, Rosie,” Vaggie said in an extra polite tone. “Thank you for the tea.”  
Alastor chuckled aloud and said, “Rosie, my friend, you truly are a miracle worker.”  
Rosie smiled proudly as Alastor finally escorted Vaggie out of the room.  
Once she was sure that they were out of Rosie’s range of hearing, Vaggie asked, “So, Alastor, where did you go?”  
“I was out on business, dear,” Alastor said giving Vaggie’s forehead a kiss. “Nothing for you a lovely bride-to-be such as you to worry about.”  
“I beg to differ…” Vaggie protested.  
“There’s that defiant spark I love so much,” Alastor said squeezing Vaggie’s arm affectionately. “How about this? I won’t explain it to you now, but I’ll explain it to you tomorrow night when I take you out with me one-on-one. Alright?”  
“I don’t see why you can’t just explain it to me now…”  
“That would ruin the surprise, my dearest love. Oh, look at that. Here, we are.”  
Alastor let go of Vaggie’s arm to unlock the bedroom door. Vaggie was not satisfied with the conversation and tried to get another word in.  
Unfortunately, before she could get another word in, Alastor opened the door, pushed Vaggie inside, and said, “There, we are, my dove. Time for you to get some rest. I’ll be back in an hour. Sleep tight.”  
“But…” Vaggie tried to protest but was interrupted when Alastor blew into her face.   
Vaggie felt overpowering melody of an old jazz song ring through her ears causing her to feel instantly drowsy enough to let out a loud yawn.  
When Vaggie’s weary, confused eyes met Alastor’s, he explained, “Just something to help you fall asleep more easily, dear, so that you will be fully rested for our excursion. Here, let me walk you to your bed.”  
“Th-that’s alright,” Vaggie tiredly stammered. “I can get myself to…”  
“Oh, no, Vaggie,” Alastor said effortlessly lifting Vaggie into his arms. “I must insist. Otherwise, you may be liable to faint on the floor.”  
In an instant, the covers to Vaggie’s bed pulled themselves back, and Vaggie’s blue dress and matching shoes were transformed into a long, white, sleeveless, silk nightgown.   
“There, we go,” Alastor said. “Much better.”  
Vaggie remained silent as Alastor laid her in the bed, pulled the sheets up to her chin, and said, “Sleep tight, my fair beauty, until we meet again. It won’t be too much longer until we can share a bed together. Won’t that be just swell?”  
“If you say so,” Vaggie said thoughtlessly.  
As she realized what she had just said, Vaggie turned over in the bed so that she was looking at the wall and remained silent fearing what the consequences would be.   
But to her surprise, Alastor laughed, stroked Vaggie’s hair, and said, “Oh, you may not be excited now, but you will be by the time next week rolls around. I just know it.”  
Not knowing what else to say, Vaggie replied, “Okay.”  
“Well, okay, then,” Alastor said with another chuckle as he thankfully turned on his heels and paced out the door. “Sleep well, dear.”  
As soon as Alastor had shut and locked the door, Vaggie grabbed her pillow and blanket, ran into the bathroom, and knocked on the wall.  
“Angel, are you there?” Vaggie asked.   
“Always, hon,” Angel yelled from his room as he picked up his crutches and hobbled into the bathroom. “What’s going on?”  
“Alastor’s back,” Vaggie said.  
“So, I heard,” Angel replied as he settled back into his normal spot against the wall. “Did he bring you any presents?”  
“He bought me maternity dresses.”  
“Oh, my God. How tone deaf can you be?”  
“I know. He said he plans on taking me and Rosie out tonight.”  
“Where to?”  
“I don’t know…”  
Suddenly, the door to Angel’s room opened, and the two captives heard Alastor call out, “Oh, Angel? Where are you?”  
“I’m in the bathroom, handsome,” Angel called back. “What is it? Did ya miss me?”  
“Not really,” Alastor retorted. “But you are disturbing my wife and I need to give your wounds a check-up, so why don’t you come in here with me so that my wife can rest?”  
“Alastor, he’s not…” Vaggie tried to protest before Angel interrupted.  
“You know I always love to spend time with you, handsome,” Angel replied flirtatiously.  
“I’ll be waiting out here for you, Angel, but I must warn you to keep your hands to yourself,” Alastor said merrily. “You remember what happened last time.”  
“Okay!” Angel replied before turning to Vaggie. “I guess we’ll have to talk later, Vaggie. Sleep well, babe.”   
Then without another word, Angel hobbled back out of the bathroom.  
Vaggie sighed and returned to her bed with her pillow and blanket. For right now, it couldn’t be helped, but when she and Angel were alone again, Vaggie would explain her plan.  
What Vaggie had not told Angel was that she was going to use the opportunity to escape, or at least, to get information to Charlie somehow.


	24. I'll Be Back for You Later, Don't Worry

Vaggie did not know how long she had been asleep when she woke up, but it didn’t matter. She immediately climbed out of bed and ran into the bathroom to talk to Angel.  
However, before she spoke, Vaggie thought of an idea. She grabbed her notebook, tore out the maps she made, grabbed a black purse out of the closet, and ran back into the bathroom.  
“Angel!” Vaggie called out. “Are you there?”  
“Yeah, hon,” Angel replied from his room as he got off his bed and hobbled back to the bathroom with his crutches. “I’m here. How was your nap?”  
“It was fine,” Vaggie replied with a sigh of relief. “Alastor cast some kind of spell on me that made me fall asleep hard and fast.”  
“I guess he doesn’t like us talking to each other,” Angel said with a scoff.  
“What ever gave you that idea?” Vaggie asked sarcastically. “Anyway, are you alright? What did he do to you?”  
“You’ll be surprised to hear this, but nothing really,” Angel replied.  
“What?” Vaggie asked incredulously.  
“Yeah, Alastor walked in, had me sit on the bed, removed my arms casts, handed me another smoothie with pain relievers, and left,” Angel said with a tone of disappointment. “It was so boring.”  
Vaggie chuckled to herself and said, “What were you hoping for?”  
“A little more action at least,” Angel whined. “I haven’t had any action in forever. Being cooped up in here is killing me. The least he could have done is let me lean in for a kiss.”  
Vaggie’s countenance fell sadly and she said, “I’m sorry.”  
“Don’t worry, honey,” Angel said with a chuckle. “I’ve survived worse dry spells than this…”  
“No,” Vaggie interrupted. “I’m sorry I got you into this mess…”  
“Babe, what did I say about letting those two get in your head? You and I know damn well that none of this is…”  
“I know. But you wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me or Alastor. I’m going to find a way to get us both out of it. I have maps in my notes. It’s a long shot, but I’m hoping to get these maps to Charlie. I just don’t know how yet. Maybe I can convince Alastor they’re break-up letters. What? No. No, there’s no way in hell that’s going to work…”  
“Vaggie…”  
“Okay, I’ll get these maps on their way to Charlie when Alastor and Rosie take me out if possible. If I’m lucky, I’ll also escape, find Charlie, and then we’ll come after you. I promise.”  
“Vaggie…”   
“Listen, I don’t know how much time we have left before Alastor and Rosie come to get me. I have to go get ready before they…”  
“VAGGIE!” Angel yelled desperately.  
Vaggie stopped speaking in surprise at Angel’s desperate tone.  
Seeming to realize how much emotion he was showing, Angel took a deep breath to calm himself down and said in a much calmer tone, “Vaggie, babe, listen to me. I know it’s a long shot, one in infinity, but if you manage to get away from that horny prick, I don’t want you or Charlie to come back for me. Okay?”  
Vaggie paused in surprise before she stammered out, “W-What?”  
“Vaggie, I’m just an ignorant slut and even I know that you getting away from Alastor would be nothing short of a miracle,” Angel explained. “We don’t know if God’s gonna come through for ya a second time if that happens, so don’t push it. I’ll find a way back on my own after Alastor auctions me off to the highest bidder.”  
“And if you can’t?” Vaggie retorted.  
Angel paused for a moment on his end.  
Vaggie could feel the tears coming to her eyes as Angel finally scoffed and said, “Babe, you don’t need to worry about me. I have all eternity to figure something out. I’ll find my way back to you before you know it. I promise.”  
Vaggie didn’t feel very reassured, but before she could respond, they both heard the door open and Alastor call out, “Rise and shine, my sweet love!”  
“That’s right, Vaggie!” Rosie chimed in running past him and into the bathroom with an approved purple dress and matching shoes for the evening. “Now, it’s time for the special event. You need to get changed, so we can get going.”  
“So, where are we going?” Vaggie asked taking the dress and the shoes.   
“Why, my dear,” Alastor replied merrily stepping into the bathroom doorway barely able to contain his excitement. “We’re off to prepare you for the consummation of our love! Our marvelous union! The wedding that will dazzle all of Hell! We have everything prepared except for the most important piece which is you of course. So tonight, we’re going to find you a gown to make you look as ethereal as the beautiful nymph you are!”  
Vaggie’s expression fell.  
“You mean, we’re going wedding dress shopping?” Vaggie asked in horror.   
“Precisely, my love,” Alastor replied.   
“There are so many dresses to look at and there’s not much time for us to waste,” Rosie added.   
“We must make you look like the bell of the ball,” Alastor said ushering Rosie out of the bathroom. “After all, you are going to be my queen and I want all of Hell to know it. Now, hurry along, dear. We’ll be waiting out here.”  
Without another word, Alastor shut the door leaving Vaggie alone in the bathroom.  
Vaggie quickly got herself ready in the bathroom.   
She couldn’t respond to Angel with as many words as she would have wished because of their listening captors, so as she prepared, she quietly ruminated over what she could say without revealing any of their plans.  
Fortunately, it didn’t take too long for Vaggie to figure out exactly what she needed to say.   
Vaggie turned to the wall and said, “I’ll be back for you later, Angel. Don’t worry.”  
Angel didn’t have the time to respond before Alastor and Rosie whisked Vaggie away.  
But as soon as everyone was gone, Angel shed a tear and whispered, “Thank you.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally figured out how to format on here. *faints*

During the limo ride to town, Alastor and Rosie chatted merrily about what type of dress Alastor wanted his bride to wear.

Vaggie was held against Alastor’s side, but despite that, she was not listening.

Vaggie was looking out the window while covertly looking into the maps in her purse. She had drawn a map of everything she could see and remember. Included among them was a map from downtown back to Alastor’s manor.

The map was not perfect, but it was good enough to give Charlie an idea of where to go to find Alastor’s home. Vaggie doublechecked the route on her map to make sure of it as they continued on their journey. Fortunately for Vaggie, the further on they drove, the more her map was confirmed to be correct.

Vaggie turned her head towards Alastor and Rosie. Thankfully, the two of them were far too engrossed in their conversation to pay attention to anything Vaggie was doing.

Vaggie smiled in relief as the limo finally entered the downtown area. Once Charlie had these maps, she’d be able to find her and Angel for sure. The only problem was getting them to her.

Unfortunately, the only solution Vaggie could think of was her idea she told Angel. Vaggie would pretend the maps were breakup letters to Charlie and tell Alastor that she wanted Charlie to receive the letters before they went home. By some miracle, Alastor would buy it and use his magic to send the “letters” himself.

This idea was horrible. Vaggie knew it, but she didn’t have any better ideas and a bad idea was better than no idea at all. Maybe Alastor would buy it after they chose a wedding dress when he was in too blissfully merry a mood to question anything…

“We’re here!” Alastor suddenly yelled catching Vaggie’s attention again.

In no time at all, Alastor, Vaggie, and Rosie parked their limo outside a wedding dress emporium. 

From the design, Vaggie could tell that it was another store Rosie owned, except it was much bigger. Much, much bigger.

“Here, we are,” Rosie said proudly letting herself out of Alastor’s limo. “I have more wedding dresses here than in anywhere else in Hell. It’ll be impossible to not find what we’re looking for.”

Alastor’s smiled wider and said, “Oh, this will be magnificent. Don’t you agree, Vaggie?”

Vaggie immediately perked up and said, “Oh, yes. I can’t wait.”

“Marvelous,” Rosie replied. “Now, if you two will follow me…”

Rosie walked ahead of them while Alastor took Vaggie’s arm and walked her to the front doors of the emporium’s entrance.

Once they stepped into the door, Vaggie’s mouth fell open and her eyes grew wide in shock.

The store was larger than any Vaggie had seen in her own life or even on the TV novellas she watched with her mother. As far as her eye could see, there were wedding gowns from every era of history and every culture, from ancient Mesopotamia to modern, for everyone from Western Europeans to the Aboriginals. Vaggie was absolutely speechless.

“Beautiful, isn’t it, darling?” Alastor said smiling delightfully at Vaggie’s amazement.

“I’ve never seen any place like this one,” Vaggie said honestly.

Alastor smiled, held Vaggie in a hug, and said, “Well, of course, I only get the best for my perfect bride-to-be.”

Vaggie involuntarily grimaced at Alastor’s touch and said, “Yeah.”

“Alright, lovebirds,” Rosie said merrily. “We have a lot of ground to cover, so I say we get to the 1930’s section and get to work.”

“Right, you are, Rosie,” Alastor said letting go of Vaggie. “And since we have so much ground to cover, I say the three of us should split up to look for the perfect dress.”

Vaggie froze in shock.

Rosie’s face fell nervously for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and replied, “Alastor, this store is quite large. Vaggie might get…lost…in a store this big. I don’t think we should…”

“Oh, Rosie, you worry too much,” Alastor interrupted with a chuckle. “We’ll all be in the same part of the store. There’s no way Vaggie could get lost. Even if she does, she can ask one of your many employees for help. Besides, Vaggie has behaved so well. I think she has earned a little space for herself. Don’t you think?”

Vaggie could not believe what she was hearing. Apparently, neither could Rosie.

Rosie walked closer to Alastor as Vaggie stood meekly to the side and pretended not to listen.

In a low voice that she thought Vaggie couldn’t hear, Rosie said, “Alastor, normally, I’m not one to question your judgment, but now that we’re here in public in a place where she could so easily run away, this would be just the perfect opportunity for her to…”

“Rosie,” Alastor interrupted. “I know what I’m doing. You need to trust me. Think of this as a test.”

Alastor looked over at Vaggie clearly checking to see if she was listening in. Vaggie quickly turned away and pretended to be looking at a baroque period dress hanging on a rack.

The pair walked away and continued their conversation at a distance Vaggie couldn’t listen in from.

It was all Vaggie could do to stand still to not reveal the adrenaline running through her veins. This could be her chance and Alastor and Rosie knew it. She’d have to find a way to outsmart the most cunning kingpins in all of hell.

Psssssssssttttttttt.

A quiet whisper woke Vaggie from her thoughts.

Pssssssssttttttt.

The sound was coming from behind the rack, so Vaggie moved the clothes aside to see Nifty hiding behind them.

“Hi, Vaggie!” Nifty whispered.

“Nifty?” Vaggie said checking over her shoulder just to see Alastor and Rosie still preoccupied with their discussion. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, wow, is that a long story,” Nifty said in her quick yet adorable voice. “Okay, not really. A few days ago, Charlie came home all sad and told us what happened and that Alastor had kidnapped you and Angel and she was about to cry so I made her some tea and she drank it and came up with a plan…”

“A plan?” Vaggie interrupted.

“Uh huh,” Nifty continued happily snapping pictures of Vaggie on her phone. “Yes, siree. Charlie stood up in her chair and said out loud that she would not give up until you and Angel were safe and sound and that if her Dad wouldn’t help you then she’d find you herself if she had to search everywhere in hell. But she didn’t know where to start so she got up and started pacing the floor and she paced and paced and paced for a super long time until she had an idea. She said that you and Alastor would have to visit a bridal gown shop at some point so she said that we should all go out and look for you and then follow you home without Alastor seeing so that we could come and save you but Husk didn’t wanna come even though Charlie begged and pleaded and begged but Husk still kept saying no. So, Charlie told him he could stay in the hotel and watch over the building while she and I checked out every bridal shop in hell so we could find you. And now, I’m here and I need to call Charlie so if you excuse me…”

“Wait,” Vaggie interrupted, opening her purse and handing her the maps that she had made. “Give these to Charlie. These are maps I’ve made that will show her the way to Alastor’s manor and help her navigate the house. Keep these in a safe place and get them to Charlie as soon as you can. Can you do that?”

“Of course,” Nifty said as she took the maps and stuck them in the pockets of her dress. “I’m always glad to help. Now, I just need to call Charlie and you’ll be peachy keen.”

“You’d better go outside to make that call,” Vaggie said. “Alastor will be back at any…”

“Did you see something you like, dear?” Alastor asked interrupting Vaggie’s thoughts.

Vaggie turned around to look at him and then looked back at the rack where Nifty was standing only to see that she had scuttled away.

“Yes,” Vaggie lied as she grabbed a random dress of the rack. “I really like this one. What do you think?”

Vaggie held up a plain, white long-sleeved dress clearly meant for a 16th-century English peasant’s wedding. She internally facepalmed, but she kept up her smile and her composure.

“Whatever drew you to these rags?” Alastor asked in disbelief.

“It reminds me of my roots,” Vaggie lied.

“But, Vaggie, this dress is so plain and ugly,” Alastor said in disgust gently taking the dress and hanging it back on the rack. “It is too primitive-looking for a divine beauty such as yourself. You are going to be a queen and we need to dress you like it.”

“If you think that’s what’s best, dear,” Vaggie said as submissively as she could manage.

“Dear?” Alastor said in surprise holding his finger under Vaggie’s chin. “That’s the first time you’ve ever used an affectionate nickname with me.”

Vaggie gulped nervously and said, “Well, honey, we are getting married…”

Suddenly, Alastor pulled Vaggie into a tight hug, practically knocking the breath out of her.

“Oh, sweetheart, you’re finally warming up to me,” Alastor said rubbing Vaggie’s back. “That makes me so…Nifty?”

Vaggie’s heart sank into the floor as she heard Nifty reply, “Alastor?”

Alastor let go of Vaggie and she slowly turned around to see Nifty frozen nervously trying to keep her composure.

“Well, isn’t this a surprise?” Vaggie said pretending to be as shocked as Alastor was.

But instead of responding, Alastor silently approached Nifty who simply stood in place and smiled, not giving him any indication that anything was out of the ordinary, despite the fact that it clearly was.

Vaggie’s blood ran cold as Alastor leaned down to the little cyclops’s level with his unflappable smile, and asked, “My dear, what ever are you doing here?”

Nifty looked at Vaggie who looked back at her with pleading eyes. That wasn’t lost on Alastor who quickly turned around to catch Vaggie’s expression.

Vaggie’s face returned to a relaxed and unconcerned expression, but Alastor was clearly suspicious.

“Oh, man! You know how I like to sew?” Nifty began to ramble excitedly in an effort to ease the tension. “I was just looking at dresses for ideas…”

“Is that so, dear?” Alastor asked putting a hand on Nifty’s shoulder.

“It sure is!” Nifty replied happily.

Alastor snapped back upwards, resumed his upbeat tone, and said, “Well, in that case, why don’t you help me and Vaggie with our wedding dress shopping? You know that whatever dress we pick will likely need alterations and I can think of no one better for doing those alterations but you. So, what do you say?”

Nifty looked at Vaggie nervously and back to Alastor.

“I would love to,” Nifty said. “Yes, sir-ee! Nothing would make me happier, but I couldn’t leave Charlie without help at the hotel…”

“Oh, don’t worry your pretty little head about that, dearie,” Alastor said merrily. “We’ll have the alterations done as soon as we pick out the dress. With you and Rosie working together, you’ll have the work done just in time for dinner. Charlie will hardly miss you.”

“Uh, I guess that’s okay,” Nifty said saluting happily. “I’m ready for duty.”

“Excellent,” Alastor said clapping his hands together for emphasis.

“Oh, Alastor!” Rosie called out merrily walking up to the couple with her assistant clad in black following behind her. “My assistant Sybil just brought me the most beautiful wedding dress that you two absolutely must see…Oh, hello there, Nifty.”

“Hi, Rosie,” Nifty said with a wave.

“Nifty was in the store looking for dress ideas, so I’ve enlisted her to help you alter the dress tonight,” Alastor said in a completely genuine tone that didn’t belie any suspicion on the surface. “Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Why yes, it is,” Rosie replied with an understanding look. “Perfect timing, too. This dress is absolutely perfect.”

“Oh, goodie!” Alastor said excitedly. “Let us see it!”

Rosie stepped aside as the assistant held up one of the most beautiful wedding dresses Vaggie had ever seen in her entire life.

The white dress had a bodice, skirt, and short train made of silk. The bodice stopped above the chest while long sleeves of lace embroidered with flowers covered the arms and shoulders and formed a collar at the next and a bow in the back.

Alastor was absolutely stunned. Vaggie would have liked the dress if it wasn’t meant for her and visibly grimaced.

“Rosie, that dress is absolutely gorgeous!” Alastor exclaimed before turning to Nifty and Vaggie. “This is it! The perfect dress for my perfect bride! Don’t you think?”

“Ooh, it’s so pretty!” Nifty cooed as she ran over and touched the fabric.

“It is indeed,” Alastor said. “What do you think, Vaggie, my love?”

“It is really nice,” Vaggie replied with the best smile she could muster.

“Then, it’s settled,” Alastor said with a smile as he ushered Vaggie and Nifty towards Rosie and Sybil. “Rosie, why don’t you and Nifty take Vaggie to the dressing room to get the dress taken care of? I’ll wait out here. It’s bad luck to see a bride in her gown before the wedding after all.”

“Of course, Alastor,” Rosie said carrying the dress with Vaggie and Nifty following behind her.

Vaggie looked at Nifty nervously. Nifty simply flashed a nervous smile as they followed Rosie into the dressing area.


	26. Chapter 26

In no time at all, Vaggie was in the dressing room and getting changed into her wedding dress. Nifty and Rosie helped Vaggie with getting the dress on as she stood on that pedestal surrounded by mirrors. Once they were done, Nifty and Rosie stood there in awe. 

The gown fit Vaggie like a glove and flattered every part of her. The only alterations that needed to be made were to the long skirt that reached far past her feet. Otherwise, she looked absolutely stunning and hated every second of it. 

“Oh, Vaggie, you’re so pretty!” Nifty cooed. “Do ya like it?”

“It looks good,” Vaggie said hating how beautiful the gown made her look.

“It looks splendid,” Rosie said cheerfully. “I think you look absolutely regal. The long skirt is the only flaw I see. What do you think, Nifty?”

“I agree with you,” Nifty said heading towards the door. “I could fix it up in a jiffy if I had my sewing kit on me, but silly me, I left it at the hotel. To do the repairs, I’ll have to go back…”

“There’s no need for that, Nifty,” Rosie said summoning her own basket of sewing supplies. “I have my own supplies here.”

“Oh,” Nifty replied with a convincing smile. “That’s perfect.”

“Alright, merry maiden,” Rosie said placing a stool in front of Vaggie and gesturing for her to step on top. “You know what to do.”

Vaggie took a deep breath, held up her skirt, and gingerly stepped on top of the stool while Rosie held her hand to help support her.

Once Vaggie was on top of the stool, Rosie adjusted the stool so that the skirt of the dress was hanging down straight. 

“There, we go, merry maiden,” Rosie said cheerfully. “Now, Nifty, you know what to do?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Nifty replied as she began pinning up the dress to the appropriate length. 

“Good,” Rosie replied before remembering something important. “Oh, Vaggie, you need a veil and some shoes to match the dress.”

“Oh, yes,” Vaggie said embracing the opportunity for Rosie to leave the room. “I certainly do. Would you mind taking care of that for me please?”

“I most certainly will,” Rosie said with a sweet smile. “Thank you for asking so politely. I’m so glad that my lessons have sunk in.”

Vaggie could feel the bile rise in her throat, but she held it back, forced a smile, and said, “You are most welcome, Rosie.”

“Do you know what you want, dear?” Rosie asked. 

“Yes…well…” Vaggie said searching for ideas. “Uh, how about a tiara with a veil that matches the dress? Like, something white with flowers on it?”

“And the shoes?” Rosie asked.

“How about the same thing?” Vaggie replied.

“Hmmmm…” Rosie said pondering while holding her chin. “That doesn’t sound like too tall of an order. Let me see what I can find. Nifty, dear, you stay here and look after Vaggie.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Nifty said cheerfully as she began making her alterations.

Then without another word, Rosie exited the dressing room. 

As soon as she was gone, Vaggie looked around the room, noticed the video camera in the corner of the room, turned to Nifty and whispered, “Nifty, why didn’t you get out of here when you had the chance?”

“I tried, Vaggie,” Nifty replied quietly as she continued her stitching without looking up. “But Alastor’s got good eyesight. Yes, sir-ee! Once he saw me, I couldn’t take another step.”

“You could have made a better excuse to leave,” Vaggie quietly complained.

“I couldn’t do that,” Nifty replied. “No, ma’am. I couldn’t. Alastor wouldn’t have let me. I have to do what he says when I’m summoned. That’s part of our deal.”

Vaggie paused for a moment and gave Nifty a good look. After a few seconds of Nifty silently bouncing around and diligently altering the dress, Vaggie saw what she was looking for and her suspicions were confirmed.

On Nifty’s forehead, just under her hair, there was a red X that looked exactly like the X Vaggie glimpsed on Alastor’s forehead on the day he destroyed Sir Pentious’ blimp.

“Alastor holds your soul,” Vaggie said in realization. “I’m sorry. I should have known that. Why didn’t occur to me? There was nothing you could…”

“Oh, don’t worry, Vaggie,” Nifty quickly interrupted as she continued her alterations. “You didn’t know. I normally don’t tell people unless they ask, when I get to talk to people. You don’t need to worry about me. Alastor’s not a bad master. He let me live in his house as his maid who cleans up all his messes without asking questions. He paid me well and had me working fair hours with days off. Alastor was never mean to me either. Well, he wouldn’t let me go out if he wasn’t there to accompany me unless I was sent out in his limo to run errands for him or myself and he required me to stay home when he went away, but he said that was for my own safety and he did take me out to buy fabric when he had time.”

“What about Husk?” Vaggie whispered. “He’s made a deal, too. Hasn’t he?”

“Yep,” Nifty replied without looking up. 

“Nifty, tell me the truth,” Vaggie said quietly yet sternly. “Is Alastor planning to hurt Charlie? Or, has he ever planned to hurt Charlie?”

“I don’t know,” Nifty said finishing her last stitch. “Voila! You look beautiful!”

Vaggie looked down anxiously to see that her dress was now at the level of her feet while she planned what she should do next.

Nifty stepped back and looked at her finished work in pride as she snapped a few pictures on her phone.

That was when Vaggie got an idea. 

Nifty continued prattling, “Oh, Alastor is going to absolutely love…” CRASH!

Nifty looked up to see Vaggie standing on the ground next to the video camera and the stool she had thrown at it to break it.

“Vaggie, what are you…?” Nifty asked nervously.

“Unzip this wedding dress, now,” Vaggie said quickly sitting the stool back up.

“But…”

“Just do it, Nifty.”

Nifty hopped onto the stool and did what Vaggie asked. 

Once Vaggie was out of that dress, she pulled her other dress on and said, “Listen very carefully, Nifty. I’m going to try to escape. As soon as you can get away, you take those maps to Charlie and tell her where Alastor lives. Do you understand me?”

“But Vaggie, I can’t…” Nifty stammered out before Vaggie swiftly grabbed her arm, opened the dressing room door, and tossed her out. “Vaggie!”

“Tell them I locked you out,” Vaggie said looking directly into Nifty’s confused eyes. “That way, you don’t have to lie.”

Vaggie shut the door, turned the lock, and quickly looked around the room to find a way out. Just above her, she saw a vent and knew just what to do. 

Vaggie picked up the stool, slammed it against the glass, and carefully picked up the glass shards that fell onto the floor. She then aimed the glass shards at the bolts of the vent grating and fired. As expected, the glass hit its target and the grating fell open. 

Vaggie smiled as she dragged the stool under the vent. That smile stayed until she heard talking outside the door.

“Oh, Alastor,” Rosie gushed. “Those touches to the gown and the whole ensemble sound simply divine. My ladies will be glad to help.”

“Excellent. My Vaggie will look just like a queen on our wedding day…Nifty?” Alastor’s voice asked causing Vaggie to immediately stop breathing. “What are you doing out here?”

“Vaggie locked me out,” Nifty replied.

“Now, why would she do something like that?” Rosie asked.

“I guess we should find out,” Alastor thankfully replied before Nifty could be grilled any further.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Vaggie shook out of her stupor and jumped into the vent. Once she had a grip on the edge of the shaft, Vaggie used all her strength to pull herself completely inside. 

Knock. Knock. BAM!

Vaggie looked down the vent to see that Alastor had blasted the door across the room. 

The Radio Demon then walked into the room with Rosie and Nifty following behind him. 

Remembering how Alastor tracked his victims, Vaggie slowed down her breathing and prayed as she watched the scene below her through the open shaft.

Through the grating on the side of her vent, Vaggie could see the two lady demons on the other side of the room. 

Rosie’s face twisted with shock and worry as she picked up the dress while Nifty hung back in the doorway. 

The little cyclops’s face twisted into an expression of fear of her own that Vaggie had never seen before. From Nifty’s expression, Vaggie knew she could expect the worst and looked to Alastor expecting to see a display of power like the one he had shown when Sir Pentious tried to destroy the hotel. 

But instead of the wrathful outburst that Vaggie was expecting, the Radio Demon was calm, unnaturally calm, as he glanced around the room for any sign of his bride.

In fact, Alastor began humming as he examined the broken vent, the broken glass, and the broken camera as nonchalantly as if he were looking around a museum. 

“I apologize, Alastor,” Rosie said as she summoned her familiar and handed her the wedding dress. “I should have known that leaving Nifty to deal with Vaggie alone was a bad idea.”

“Oh, don’t worry your pretty head about it, dear,” Alastor replied. “It is not your fault. It is Vaggie’s for choosing to break my heart and disobey me after all we’ve done for her. It is sad. I was hoping to have a lovely evening with her. But now, I have to punish her and Angel.”

Vaggie inhaled sharply, but she covered her mouth before she could emit any more sounds.

In the dressing room below, Vaggie saw Alastor’s ears shifting around trying to catch another sound. 

Immediately understanding what Alastor was up to, Rosie smiled and said, “And if Vaggie were to return to us before we find her?”

Alastor turned around, smiled back at Rosie, and then replied, “Then, neither Vaggie nor Angel will be punished.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Rosie said with a wider smile than before. “Anyhow, would you like to check out before we go look for your bride?”

“That sounds wonderful,” Alastor replied merrily turning on his heels and walking towards the door with Rosie walking beside him. “I’ll be sure to pay you top dollar for your wonderful services…”

Alastor continued to chatter on until he passed the door’s threshold.

Nifty tried to enter the room, but Alastor put his hand around her shoulder without breaking his conversation and gently pushed her out of the room with him.

Vaggie was even more scared now. Neither Alastor nor Rosie was phased by her disappearance. They were completely calm. Something wasn’t right. Even Nifty was put off by it.

Vaggie shook her head and forced herself to calm down. She had to escape. She had to get back to Charlie. She got on her hands and knees and crawled through the vent. 

The place was large, but the passage wasn’t too difficult. Vaggie quickly found her way to the vent leading out of the building. Once she reached her destination, she kicked the grating as hard as she could. Fortunately, the grating gave way and Vaggie climbed out of the vent to find herself on the roof.

After looking around to make sure the coast was clear, Vaggie found a drain pipe and climbed it down until she reached the street. As soon as her feet hit the ground, Vaggie sprinted away as quickly as she could. 

Unfortunately for her, Vaggie was not alone.

“There are you, darling!” Alastor’s voice called out as Vaggie felt her entire body getting mummified with ribbons just as she had been earlier in the week from her feet to her mouth.

Vaggie struggled fruitlessly as Alastor walked over, picked her up, and looked disappointedly into her eyes.

After emitting a sad sigh, Alastor said, “Vaggie, I am so disappointed in your behavior today. I thought you had finally decided to give our love a chance. I trusted you, and you broke my heart again. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Vaggie, of course, couldn’t speak, but she gave Alastor the nastiest glare she could imagine. While doing so, she noticed Nifty standing nervously behind him while Rosie stood beside the car with a wicked smile of her own.

Alastor sighed once more and said, “Oh, well. Your beautiful hair and skin are dirty from climbing around those disgusting vents. We better get you home so we can get you fed and cleaned up before it’s time for bed. Rosie, dear, would you help take Vaggie to the car? I need to have a word with Nifty.”

“Of course,” Rosie said summoning her penguin familiars who waddled over and took Vaggie out of Alastor’s arms. 

As soon as his arms were free of Vaggie, Alastor knelt down to Nifty’s level and placed a hand around her back. Vaggie shook in her restraints as the penguins slowly waddled their way over to the limo.

After a moment of frightened silence, Nifty opened her mouth to speak, but Alastor put a finger over her lips and said, “I don’t know what Vaggie told you when I had my back turned and I don’t need you to tell me. I simply request that you disregard whatever my fiancée said and don’t tell Charlie a word about what just transpired here. Can you do that for me, Nifty darling?”

“Well…” Nifty muttered.

“Is that hesitation I hear?” Alastor asked with a threatening chuckle pressing his nails against Nifty’s back. “Nifty, must I remind you of the terms of our deal and what should happen were you to ever betray those terms?”

Nifty gulped and chirped, “No, sir. You have nothing to worry about from me. I swear.”

Vaggie felt her heart sink into her stomach as the penguins finally slid her into the car.

Alastor immediately returned to his chipper demeanor, stood back up, rubbed Nifty’s hair, and said, “Good girl! You and Husker are invited to the wedding. Please be sure to attend. It’ll be quite the party. Until then, I’ll see you later!”

“See ya,” Nifty said sadly.

Nifty stood there with a smile silently trying to conceal her tears while Alastor and Rosie climbed back into the limo and drove away leaving her alone with her thoughts.


	27. Chapter 27

Vaggie expected to be punished as soon as they arrived home, but that did not happen. She was released from her restraints, taken to her room, served dinner like she was the other night, and left alone like nothing had happened. It was unnerving.

Like the other night, Vaggie took her dinner to the bathroom and sent Angel his rations through the vent while filling him in on all that had happened. During that time, nothing happened.

When they were done, Vaggie returned her tray to the magical cart, watched it fly out of the room, and prepared herself for bed in the bathroom as she had the night before. 

Vaggie knew something was off. Angel did, too. He tried to comfort her as she took her nightly shower.

“Vaggie, it wasn’t your fault,” Angel said through the wall. 

“Yes, it was,” Vaggie said as she angrily scrubbed the soap through her hair. “I can’t believe I was so fucking stupid. I acted too soon. I should have waited for a better time.”

Angel scoffed and said, “I seriously doubt that you could have found a better opportunity, babe. We both know that even if the moron trusted you there was no way he would have left you alone for any length of time. He is far too enamored.”

Vaggie finished aggressively scrubbing her hair and moved on to angrily washing her face and the rest of her body.

“But now, you’re going to pay for what I did!” Vaggie yelled out in frustration. “And it’s all my fault!”

Angel chuckled and said, “You know this ain’t my first rodeo, doll. You should also know by now that I live for this sort of thing. I’ll be fine.”

Vaggie punched the wall as her eyes began to well up with tears. The tears, water, and soap mixed together as she stood there letting the shower rinse her off. After a long day of holding back, Vaggie finally let out her cries of anger, frustration, and crushed hopes. She tried to remain quiet, but despite her best efforts, the running water could not cover up the sound of her sobs.

Angel heard Vaggie crying and said, “You’re being too hard on yourself, Vaggie. You’re forgetting that we’re dealing with a kingpin here. They don’t have their reputation for nothing. I would know. Valentino has owned me for years. And I’d say, considerin’ the circumstances, it’s amazing you’ve been doin’ this well. Today wasn’t a total loss. Nifty now knows where you’ve been, and as much faith as Alastor puts in her, I seriously doubt she’s good at keeping secrets. Even Nifty doesn’t sing, Charlie is bound to know something’s up. She could even find the maps if she’s careful. Even if that doesn’t happen, if nothin’ else, you proved to that SOB that you ain’t no pushover. No matter what he does to punish us, I don’t want ya to worry. Cuz I know that whatever Alastor has waiting for us we’ll get through it like we have everything else he has put us through. Okay?”

Vaggie smiled in response as she finally noticed that the soap was all washed off her body. 

After double-checking to make sure that was the case, Vaggie shut off the shower, grabbed her towel, and said, “Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it, hon,” Angel said. “Just strong for me and I’ll stay strong for you. Got it?” 

“Okay,” Vaggie said with a smile as she pulled on the blue night slip and the underwear that went with it, wrapped her hair in a towel, and wrapped herself in a blue bathrobe. “You know, I think Charlie was right about you. You do have a rainbow inside you.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, but keep it between you and me or else I'll have to tell everyone about our make-out session in the dungeon,” Angel replied with a chuckle.

Vaggie giggled as she unwrapped her hair, ran a brush through it, and said, “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

“You’d better,” Angel said sarcastically. “Are you almost done? I want to read some more.”

“I’m almost done. I just need to brush my teeth. Can you wait that long?”

“If I must. this is my only entertainment of the day after all since Alastor has forbidden me from summoning my guns to shoot his statues.”

“Wait,” Vaggie said without stopping her hair brushing. “You were shooting at Alastor’s statues?”

“Yeah,” Angel said chuckling under his breath. “It was something entertaining to do since I finally have the use of all my arms again. I got bored in between my knock-out smoothies, so I limped over to the window, leaned against the window pane, and started aiming at Alastor’s statues. I knocked the heads off a few of them. It was fun until Alastor appeared in my room and threatened to break my arms again if I didn’t stop.”

“What a killjoy,” Vaggie said preparing her toothbrush to brush her teeth.

“You’re telling me,” Angel said. “You should have seen him when I started shooting holes in the ceiling.”

Vaggie chuckled to herself as she brushed her teeth and looked forward to another peaceful night with Angel.

Unfortunately for both of them, that was not to be.

As soon as Vaggie switched on the water to rinse her toothbrush off in the sink, she heard muffled shouts and the sound of Angel struggling on the other side of the wall.

Vaggie quickly shut off the sink, set her toothbrush down, and ran over to the wall.

“Angel?!” Vaggie called out. “Angel, are you alright?!”

Angel’s muffled yelling and sounds of straining on top of the small bed immediately let Vaggie know that he had been gagged and tied down.

Vaggie backed away from the wall fearfully as the lights went out on her side.

Just then, the door flew open and Vaggie felt something rough tie itself around her wrists and ankles and yank her out of the bathroom, across her room, and onto her bed. Then she felt her limbs become restrained and pulled down as the ropes tied themselves to the legs of the bed frame.

“What the fuck is going on here?!” Vaggie shrieked at the top of her lungs.

Alastor chuckled darkly as he approached Vaggie’s vulnerable form and tied a handkerchief around her mouth.

“This is your punishment for the damage you caused today, dear,” Alastor said. “You must learn your lesson, so you will remain like this until morning.”

Vaggie ceased struggling and let her eyes settle into an angry glare.

Alastor merely smiled and snapped his fingers, causing a sleeping blindfold to appear over Vaggie’s eyes.

“There,” Alastor said amusedly. “That should help you fall asleep more easily.”

Vaggie immediately began moving her head around in a frenzy to get the blindfold off. She heard Alastor chuckle for a second before he turned on his heels, walked out of the room, and shut and locked the door behind him.

Vaggie continued to struggle madly against her restraints, but all she succeeded in doing was rubbing her wrists and ankles raw. So, after only a few minutes of fruitless fighting, she had to give up and try to force herself to relax, which under the circumstances felt impossible.

To make matters even worse, Vaggie suddenly began to feel someone watching her.

Vaggie tried listening closely to the room around her, but she couldn’t hear anything beyond her own breathing. That did nothing to calm her nerves. 

Vaggie’s heart started beating quicker. It was terrifying to feel like she was alone and yet she felt as though someone else was with her. Yet there was nothing the poor moth demon could do. She was blinded, gagged, and unable to move, so she decided to make herself go to sleep and wait for morning.

Oddly enough, sleep came quickly and Vaggie was asleep within minutes.

Alastor watched in the shadows as she slept. 

When he was sure his magic had made her fall asleep, Alastor changed from his shadow form and approached the bed. He examined Vaggie’s sleeping form as she lay still in her restrains, her chest rising and falling with each breath. 

Alastor couldn't help but be transfixed. Vaggie was so beautiful and so strong even in her helpless state. 

Alastor smiled gently as he pulled off his coat and his shoes leaving the latter on the floor before climbing on top of the bed next to his betrothed and covering them both with the former. 

Vaggie was in a deep sleep and didn’t feel Alastor lay himself next to her nor feel his arms snake around her waist. Neither did Vaggie feel his head resting against her shoulder as he buried his face in her hair, deeply inhaled her scent, and started whispering in her ear.

“My goddess and inspiration,” Alastor huskily whispered. “You are so soft against my skin. Next week, we will be wed and we will be together always.”

From the other room, Alastor could hear Angel's muffled screams of pain as Rosie had her way with him.

Alastor smiled sadistically as Angel’s agonized and muffled screams made their way to his ears and pulled him into sleep next to Vaggie.


	28. Chapter 28

Vaggie woke up first the next morning. She immediately realized something was lying against her. Her blindfold kept her from seeing what it was and her bonds kept her from moving away, but it didn't take long to figure out who it probably was.

Alastor slept soundly until he felt Vaggie begin to struggle and curse behind her gag. He quickly opened his eyes and lifted his head when he noticed his lover struggling against her restraints and smiled.

“Good morning, my darling wife,” Alastor said cheerfully. “Did you sleep well?”

Hearing his voice only made Vaggie thrash more furiously. 

So, Alastor reached out a clawed hand over Vaggie’s eyes and swiftly removed the blindfold.

Vaggie laid there blinking to recover her vision until her eyes found Alastor sitting up next to her and settled into a glare.

“It’s so nice to be in your company, my love,” Alastor said happily as he snapped his fingers and made the blindfold disappear.

Vaggie simply glared back at him, not giving Alastor the satisfaction of hearing her attempt to speak through her gag.

“Now then,” Alastor said. “If you promise to behave, I will remove your gag and untie you. Okay?”

Vaggie replied with a head nod and Alastor got to work.

Alastor got up from the bed, moved over to Vaggie’s head, and untied the gag from Vaggie’s mouth. Vaggie remained surprisingly silent as he moved on to untying the rest of her. 

Alastor hummed a showtune as he untied Vaggie’s wrist and ankle on one side of the bed while his magic telekinetically untied the wrist and ankle on the other side.

As soon as her wrists and ankles were free, Vaggie stood up, threw the coat off her, walked past Alastor and straight into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her without saying a word. 

Alastor sighed and shook his head, chuckling as he walked out of the room. Vaggie was so fickle.

As soon as Vaggie had used the toilet, washed her hands, and heard Alastor shut the door and lock the locks to her bedroom door, she knocked on the bathroom wall to get Angel’s attention.

Angel groaned in pain as he knocked back.

“Angel,” Vaggie said in relief. “Thank God! Are you alright? What did Rosie do to you?”

Angel scoffed and replied, “You mean, aside from fucking me until I was in and out of consciousness? Nothing really. I’ll give that hag credit. She’s got more stamina than any man I’ve ever slept with.”

“Oh, God,” Vaggie said in disgust.

“What did Alastor do to you?” Angel asked.

“He gagged and blindfolded me after he tied my wrists and ankles to the legs of the bed,” Vaggie replied angrily. “And then, when I was asleep, that shitlord came back to sleep next to me.”

Angel didn’t respond, but Vaggie could feel the panic behind his silence.

“Vaggie, you might not want to think about it, but are you sure that was all that he did?” Angel finally asked.

Vaggie thought for a moment in a panic before she said, “I didn’t wake up to any pain or feel any blood on me…so, I’m sure he didn’t anything.”

Angel sighed in relief and said, “Good.”

“Wait,” Vaggie said. “Why are you worried about me? You just spent a whole night getting raped.”

Angel scoffed and said, “I’m a slut, doll. I’m used to it. You ain’t.”

Vaggie chuckled and replied, “You’re taking this far too lightly.”

“It helps to have a since of humor when you’re in hell, Vaggie,” Angel replied as he shuffled himself into a more comfortable position in his spot against the wall.

Just then, a thought crossed Vaggie’s mind.

“Angel, when were you last fed?” Vaggie asked. “By Alastor or Rosie? Have either of them provided you a meal since you arrived?”

Angel scoffed and said, “Not a bite. Nothing for sustenance other than those damn smoothies. You know that. Why are you asking?”

“Alastor’s starving you to make you more compliant for the auction tomorrow.”

“Duh.”

“I need to get Alastor to feed you.”

“I can survive on smoothies, doll. You don’t need to stick your neck out for me. You can’t afford to.”

“I don’t think we can afford not to. You need to be strong.”

“Vaggie…”

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Vaggie turned her head to the source of the sound outside her bathroom door, paused for a moment, and nervously said, “Hello? Is someone there?”

“Yes, Vaggie. It’s me,” Alastor’s voice answered from the other side. “Are you alright in there? I’ve freshened myself up for the day, and so, I thought I’d come back to check on you.”

Vaggie’s heart sank in terror. Alastor had barely been gone for a few minutes. She thought they were alone. How much had he heard?

Alastor knocked again and asked, “Vaggie, are you alright?”

“I’m fine!” Vaggie snapped. “What do you want?!”

“Merely to check up on you, my dear.”

“As if you actually care how I feel. Go away!”

“I just want to know how my wife is doing.”

“Pissed, if I’m honest.”

“And why is that, my dear?” Alastor asked bemusedly.

“Well, you slept on me after you tied me to a bed, gagged me, and blindfolded me for one thing!” Vaggie snapped. “For another, you haven't fed Angel once since we arrived!”

“Vaggie, what are you doing?” Angel asked from the other side of the wall.

Alastor scoffed and said, “That overgrown bluenose needed to learn some manners. You did as well.”

“Says the demon who slept with a woman he isn't married to,” Vaggie retorted.

“But dear, that is all I did,” Alastor said defensively. “I only slept next to you. Not once did I touch you inappropriately.”

“You waited until I was asleep and too restrained to do anything about it!” Vaggie protested. “You didn’t ask!”

Alastor chuckled loudly and replied, “Why would I need to ask? I’m your soon-to-be husband.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Vaggie snarled. “Why have you been starving Angel?”

“Vaggie…” Angel tried to protest.

“Simple,” Alastor interrupted. “Most customers prefer lean and thin slaves. Don’t they?”

“Yeah, not starved out ones!” said Vaggie. “By the time the auction happens tomorrow, Angel will be too weak to stand!”

“Vaggie, it’s sweet how worried you are about the sexual deviant, but need I remind you that we are dead and cannot die again of natural causes?” Alastor asked. “Starving Angel until tomorrow won’t kill him.”

“Neither will feeding him!” Vaggie spat back. “If you love me as much as you claim to, you will feed Angel every meal today and tomorrow!” 

“Hey. Since we’re talking about food, can Vaggie and I get omelets?” Angel chimed in. 

“Yeah,” Vaggie replied. “I also want to eat the meal with Angel in this room or I’m not eating at all.”

“Of course, my dear,” Alastor said. “I’d do anything to make you happy…”

Vaggie smiled until Alastor said, “But I have one condition. You two are not to be close and affectionate with each other in any way.”

“Don’t worry, ya big, red prude,” Angel replied before Vaggie could. “I won’t even touch her.”

“For your sake, you best not,” Alastor replied. “As long as you don’t, you may eat.”

“Sweet,” Angel said weakly as he tentatively got himself on his feet with the help of his crutches.

“You will take Angel and the food to my room,” Vaggie said. “I’m going to take a shower to get a night’s worth of your sweat off me and both of them will be in my room for breakfast. Do you understand?”

“Very well, my darling,” Alastor said.

“Thank you,” Vaggie said. “Angel, I’ll see you soon.”

“I’m looking forward to it, babe,” Angel said as he painfully limped on his crutches towards the door. 

“Me, too,” Vaggie said as she turned on the water to her shower.

Once Alastor was sure Vaggie was taking her shower, he left the room to retrieve Angel. 

Alastor unlocked the door to Angel’s room and let his prisoner out. 

Angel Dust meanwhile was shaking on his crutches as he struggled to walk to Vaggie’s room. 

His once strong and powerful legs that let him jump like the jumping spider he was were reduced to muscle-less twigs. The one leg that had the busted knee was swollen from the infection that was starting to stink underneath its bandages. And much like his legs, Angel’s chest and arms were so thin that even Vaggie would be able to snap him in half like a twig. Heavy and dark circles were lined under Angel’s eyes and his fluffy hair was greasy and sticky with sweat and blood. His coat was torn and draped over his shoulders like a blanket. Only his shorts and his choker remained perfectly intact.

Angel winced from the pain and from his bare feet touching the cold floor as his eyes moved up to meet Alastor’s.

Alastor flashed a sadistic smile at Angel’s pitiful condition that melted into a pensive expression as he allowed him to hobble into the hallway.

Angel noticed, smiled defiantly, and said, “You like what you see handsome?”

“No,” Alastor said coming out of his thoughts and thoughtfully moving his head to the side. “Your knee doesn’t look very good. Neither does the rest of you for that matter. Your clothes are absolutely filthy. Your fur looks more disgusting than usual. Your infection stinks to high heaven…”

Angel tilted his head wearily and said, “So, what are you gonna do about it? Summon the harpy who attacked me last night to do something about it?”

“No, Rosie is at her home resting, so your care falls on me,” Alastor said as he turned to strike his staff on the ground and summon his familiars. “Now, come along. I must get you freshened up for breakfast.”

Angel’s weary eyes instantly perked up.

“Oh, yeah?” Angel asked seductively hobbling a step closer to Alastor. “Does that mean what I think it does, handsome?”

“Quite possibly,” Alastor said directing his deer familiars in Angel’s direction. “Take Angel to my bathroom and bathe him while I get started on those omelets if you please.”

Angel’s eyes flashed fearfully as the deer familiars picked him up and carried him off to be cleaned.


	29. Chapter 29

The deer familiars brought Angel into Alastor’s large marble-covered personal bathroom with its Roman bath-sized bath tub, stripped him of what little clothing he had left, shoved him into the hot water, and began roughly scrubbing him with soap from head-to-toe.

Angel couldn’t move without feeling pain in his knee or in his groin so he tried to sit in place as best he could while the familiars continued their relentless washing.

After a few minutes, Alastor entered the bathroom.

Angel flashed a seductive smile and said, “Hey there, Alastor. Are you here to join me?”

“No,” Alastor said with an amused chuckle. “I am simply here to check on you since I have begun preparing the omelets.”

“How thought-OW!” Angel yelped in pain as the familiars moved on to scrubbing his busted knee.

Alastor smiled at the pain Angel was in and waited for the spider demon to speak again.

“Not that I don’t appreciate the help, but I must ask why are you tending to me all of sudden,” Angel said regaining his composure.

“You must look your best in the presence of my wife,” Alastor said in a matter-of-fact tone. “One must always look good in the presence of a woman, especially a woman as elegant and beautiful as my Vaggie.”

Angel scoffed dismissively and said, “Uh huh. You just don’t want Vaggie to get angry at you when she sees how badly you messed me up.”

Alastor smiled and replied, “Quite possibly. After all, you are the only leverage I currently have against her.”

Angel smirked at him and asked, “That’s true now. But what do you intend to do once I’m gone? Vaggie will have no reason to behave. She still hates you and is going to make your every waking moment miserable until you let her go. How are you gonna deal with that?”

“That’s for me to worry about, Angel,” Alastor said turning to leave the room.

“Meaning you have no fucking clue what you’ll do,” Angel said with a scoff and a mocking smile. “I knew it.”

Alastor looked over at Angel with a frown that turned into another sadistic smile before it could really register. 

Alastor dramatically wafting his hand around his nose and dramatically interjected, “Oh, dear. Is that your breath? Smells like we need to clean your teeth.”

Alastor then snapped his fingers, causing another familiar to appear with a toothbrush and toothpaste and immediately get to work cleaning Angel’s teeth.

“Hey!” Angel called out before the familiar brushing his teeth stifled all conversation.

“Nah ah ah!” Alastor replied with a condescending smirk, wagging his finger as he finally made it to the door. “Don’t talk, Angel. You wouldn’t want to swallow any toothpaste. Now, I’m off to finish those omelets. Once you’re clean, the boys will dry you off, redress your wound, and find you some more presentable and less gaudy clothes to wear. Be sure to be a good boy for my servants while I’m away. I’ll see you soon.”

Without another word, Alastor exited the bathroom and shut the door behind him, only waiting a second to savor Angel’s muffled sounds of distress before teleporting back to the kitchen to finish cooking those omelets.


	30. Chapter 30

About 45 minutes later, Vaggie was waiting in her room wearing a light periwinkle sleeveless, sweater blouse, a violet-colored skirt that almost went down to her feet, and purple sandals with her pink ribbon tied as a headband around her head.

Vaggie was sitting there anxiously wondering what kind of shape Angel was in when she finally heard the locks on her door turning. 

Vaggie turned her head to see Alastor open the door, step into the room, and hold open the door for Angel. 

Angel entered slowly on his crutches. He was wearing a white shirt that looked like Alastor’s with the black cross in the center and black pants and black shoes. Angel’s fur was clean and his knee was rebandaged firmly to make walking easier, but Vaggie could see the dark circles under his eyes and the way his weak, thin limbs and frame struggled to move across the room.

Despite all this, Angel still flashed a weak smile and said, “Hiya, toots. How’s it going?”

Vaggie stood up, walked over to Angel, and replied kindly, “I’m okay. You look better than I thought you would, Angel.”

“Alastor cleaned me up,” Angel said.

“He did?” Vaggie asked.

“Yeah,” Angel replied with a sarcastic smile. “He gave me a bath, brushed my teeth, and finally rebandaged my stinky, busted knee. Wasn’t that nice of him?”

“Yeah,” Vaggie said taking another step closer to Angel. “Let me help you get to the bed.”

“No need to trouble yourself, dearest,” Alastor said suddenly popping up between them. “I’ll move this giant cripple for you.”

Alastor snapped his fingers and suddenly Angel was hovering through the air with Alastor’s magic until he was sat down on one end of Vaggie’s bed. 

Vaggie quickly took her seat on the other side of the bed, and Alastor turned his attention to the familiars pushing in the carts with the delicious omelets on them.

Angel took the opportunity to reach out his third pair of arms until his right hand touched Vaggie’s and held it in his palm. 

Vaggie turned and looked at Angel who gave her a wink and a warm smile before quickly retracting his hands again.

“I heard that, Angel,” Alastor said turning around while the familiars pushed the carts in. “That is your one and only warning. Touch my bride again and you’ll be returned to your room without your breakfast. Is that understood?”

“Alastor…” Vaggie tried to argue.

“Whatever you say, daddy,” Angel interrupted sassily unbuttoning his shirt to let his chest fluff out as the carts with their omelets, orange juice, and side of fruit settled in front of him and Vaggie. “I’ll…Oh, my God..”

Angel’s eyes fell on the first real meal he’d have all week and his mouth visibly watered.

Angel wasted no time. He thanked God under his breath, picked up his utensils, and dug right in.

Vaggie was about to devour her own omelet when she looked up and noticed that Alastor was still standing there with his wide, toothy grin.

“Well?” Vaggie asked suspiciously.

“Well, what?” Alastor quipped amusedly.

“Do you plan on standing there the whole time? Don’t you need to eat?”

“I ate while I was preparing the omelets, dear.”

“You didn’t answer my first question.”

“I’m here to observe, Vaggie,” Alastor said tilting his head in amusement.

“Observing?” Vaggie asked incredulously. “Are we just lab animals to you?”

“I think he means ‘chaperone,’” Angel said before swallowing his bites of omelet. “Isn’t that right, Alastor?”

“That is correct, Angel,” Alastor replied.

Angel smiled and seductively unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt to uncover his chest fluff while saying, “Now, who’s the bluenose, Alastor?”

“That would still be you, Angel,” Alastor said.

Angel cocked his head playfully and retorted, “Really? How so? All I did was come to save a damsel-in-distress.”

“I believe my note made it clear that was Vaggie was in more than safe hands,” Alastor retorted back.

Angel scoffed and said, “Knowing how Vaggie feels about you was more than enough cause for alarm.”

“Angel…” Vaggie pleaded.

Alastor chuckled darkly and said, “Tell me, Angel. How did you get to my home in the first place? I don’t exactly advertise my manor’s address. You had to find it out somehow. So, tell me. How did you do it?”

Angel dramatically leaned backwards and said, “Vaggie threw a radio at my head. After that, I just can’t remember a thing…”

Alastor sighed and said, “You still refuse to cooperate after everything you’ve gone through? Oh, well. So be it then. After the auction, you’ll be the problem of whoever buys you.”

Angel rolled his eyes and said “Whatever” before going back to his eating.

Alastor allowed Angel and Vaggie to eat for several minutes in disconcerting silence. 

Vaggie could feel the heavy tension in the room. Angel was so nonchalant, but inside, she knew that he was as scared as she was. It was all she could do to keep up a brave front as they both finished their meals.

It was at that moment that Alastor finally spoke up and asked, “Are you excited about the auction, Angel?”

Angel scoffed in disbelief and replied, “I don’t think excited is the right word for it.”

“Well, you should be.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve given so many of your old friends a chance to purchase you and a little something extra.”

“What might that be?”

“Your soul.”

Vaggie and Angel’s mouths fell open almost at the exact same time. 

Vaggie looked at Angel fearfully who shuddered briefly before regaining his composure and replying, “What?!”

“It’s true,” Alastor said summoning a glowing orb in the shape of a heart that Angel knew indeed to be his soul. 

“How did you…?” Vaggie asked while Angel sat there in stunned silence. 

“I took it from his old master, Valentino,” Alastor interrupted. “I know the rules surrounding overlords and those contracted to them. Unless I hold the soul, I can’t give the contractor away, so I got the soul.”

“Valentino would never give me up without a fight,” Angel said giving Alastor a pointed look as his hands balled into fists. “How did you get Val to hand me over?”

“That is nothing for you to worry about, Angel,” Alastor replied in a dismissive, upbeat tone. “But Valentino is invited to the auction, so he has the chance to buy you back if that’s what you’re really worried about.”

Angel sneered and said with a confidence he was far from truly possessing, “I ain’t worried, strawberry pimp. Thank you though.”

Vaggie anxiously looked at Angel and then at Alastor as the soul disappeared to wherever Alastor kept it. There was nothing right about this. Souls were a commodity in hell and those with the power to trade them almost never gave them not, especially if the contractor was someone as lucrative for their owner as Angel was. Valentino did not give Angel up. Vaggie knew it and Angel knew it.

“How did you get Angel’s soul, Alastor?” Vaggie asked out loud.

Both Angel and Alastor looked at her. Angel gave her a pleading look to not press the matter further while Alastor simply looked amused.

“Oh, my dear, it is so sweet for you to worry about my well-being…” Alastor began.

“I’m not,” Vaggie interrupted.

“…but you should know by now that Valentino doesn’t stand a chance against me,” Alastor continued without acknowledging the insult. “He didn’t put up any fight at all when I took Angel’s soul and we parted on friendly terms. He’s even coming to the auction tomorrow for a chance to buy Angel back.”

“Okay,” Angel said with a smile as he went back to drinking his orange juice.

Vaggie was surprised at Angel’s response until he saw Angel’s hands gripping onto the comforter on her bed for dear life. 

“I’m inviting some of your other associates too, Angel,” Alastor said.

Angel looked up from his drink and replied, “Is that so? Who all are you inviting?”

Alastor’s smile somehow grew wider.

Vaggie narrowed her gaze on Alastor as she realized that he was about to pull another stop.

“Well, if you must know,” Alastor began unable to completely conceal his excitement underneath his calm, businesslike demeanor. “I’ve invited Valentino, of course. I’ve invited Vox and Velvet, as well as many other overlords and minor kingpins that you might recognize, including Cherri Bomb, Sir Pentious, and…Who am I forgetting? It was on the tip of my tongue. Oh, yes! Your family!”

Angel’s eyes flashed in panic as he immediately spat out his orange juice on the plate in front of him and started coughing on whatever he managed to swallow.

Vaggie turned to Angel fearfully, and completely disregarding Alastor’s warnings, put a hand on Angel’s back in support, and asked, “Angel? Angel, are you alright? Angel?”

Alastor’s smile did not change at all while Angel’s coughing subsided. He didn’t even seem to care that Vaggie was touching Angel as he nonchalantly walked up to him and handed him a handkerchief to wipe his face with.

Vaggie snatched the handkerchief from Alastor, wiped Angel’s face, and said, “Angel, are you…?”

Ignoring the pain on his busted knee, Angel got to his feet, slid the cart away, grabbed Alastor’s collar, and yelled straight in his face, “You invited my fucking family?!”

Alastor stood there relishing the physical pain, fear, and anger behind Angel’s eyes for just a second before he gently pushed Angel back onto the bed and said, “Yes, siree. Your father Henroin and your older brother Arackniss, if I’m not mistaken. I thought that since they’re your blood they’d like the chance to bid on you. They were more than happy to accept the invitation when I contacted them. It seems that they have been waiting for the right opportunity to reunite meet you…”

“You son-of-a-bitch…” Angel spat out angrily clenching his fists.

“Angel, stop!” Vaggie said pleadingly grabbing onto Angel’s arm to hold him back.

“What’s the matter, Angel?” Alastor asked cocking his head back innocently. “Isn’t the possibility of reuniting with your family a good thing?”

“You’ve talked to them!” Angel snapped back. “You know exactly why I don’t want to see them ever again, ya bastard!”

Alastor tutted and said, “Angel, there’s no reason for that sort of language, especially not in front of a lady like my beautiful bride…”

“Oh, shove it!” Vaggie yelled. “You know what you’ve done!”

“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” Alastor replied with a light chuckle. “All I’ve done is grant an opportunity for a prodigal son to return to his family.”

Suddenly, without warning, Angel jumped from his spot on the bed on top of Alastor knocking the both of them to the floor as Angel’s hands wrapped around Alastor’s throat.

“Angel, stop it!” Vaggie pleaded as she flew over and tried pulling Angel off Alastor.

“Run, Vaggie!” Angel replied without breaking his concentration. “If Alastor has gone this far to screw me over, what do you think he’s got planned for you?! You have to go!”

“Not without you!” Vaggie retorted. “Come…”

“NEItheR Of YoU ArE GoinG ANyWheRe…”

In the blink of an eye, Alastor was standing up and holding Angel by the neck as the room around them filled with static, Alastor’s antlers grew, and his eyes turned into radio dials.

Vaggie froze in fear while Angel struggled to reach his feet to the ground and loosen his neck from Alastor’s grip. Both of their eyes bright in absolute terror as they wondered what Alastor would do next.

However, instead of violent display of power they were both expecting, Alastor cut out his static, returned to his normal demeanor, and dropped Angel on the floor where he fell over writhing in pain and struggling to catch his breath.

As if forgetting anything had just happened, Alastor sighed and said, “Angel, what’s done is done. You having a violent outburst won’t change anything.”

“My violent outburst?” Angel asked incredulously. “You got a screw loose if you think I’m going home with my shitty family.”

“What a ridiculous statement! I never expected you to go home with any of your potential buyers willingly,” Alastor replied with a dark chuckle as he reached out a hand towards Angel.

Angel stubbornly pushed the hand away and tried standing himself up using the bed as support before Vaggie quietly pushed past Alastor and helped Angel get to his feet herself.

Alastor watched on disapprovingly without breaking his smile, shook his head, and said, “I can’t believe you find such an unsavory character to be your friend, my dear.”

“You’re the unsavory character, asshat!” Vaggie spat back as she helped Angel sit back on her bed.

“Babe?” Angel said weakly grabbing Vaggie’s shoulder.

“Angel?” Vaggie asked, turning around to see Angel start to lose consciousness. “Angel, what’s happening?”

“Why don’t ya ask the stag?” Angel said angrily leering at Alastor as Vaggie helped him lay down on the bed.

“What the fuck did you do?!” Vaggie yelled at the Radio Demon standing in place with his smug smile.

“Oh, Vaggie, Angel is not in the best mood right now,” Alastor said as he slowly lifted his hand to show the freshly-emptied syringe. “He’s so cranky and irritable and not at all pleasant to be around. Surely, a nap would do him some good. Don’t you think?”

“You cheating bastard…” Angel muttered just loudly enough for everyone to hear. 

“Now, now, Angel,” Alastor interrupted wagging his finger disapprovingly. “You got to bathe and eat your breakfast, but you repaid me by attacking me and upsetting my bride. Now, you can rest while my servants fix your knee until it’s time for you to wake up to relieve yourself and eat lunch.”

“You motherfucking…” Vaggie snarled.

“Vaggie, it’s okay,” Angel interrupted, his eyes struggling to maintain consciousness. “I’ll be fine. But listen. The moment I’m gone, Alastor has nothing on you. So, please, give him enough hell for the both of us.”

With that, Angel fell asleep on the bed.

After a moment of silence, Alastor said, “Strange. The serum usually takes less time to sedate people. He must have more tolerance...”

“Why the fuck did you do that?!” Vaggie snapped furiously.

Alastor struck his cane on the ground, instantly summoning his familiars who pushed out the carts and carried Angel’s limp body back to his room.

Vaggie tried to follow them, but Alastor grabbed her arm, pulled her in close, wrapped one arm around her, held her chin up with his free hand, and said, “Honestly, dear, because I thought that we could use some alone time. With everything going on, we’ve been so busy that we haven’t had much time to enjoy each other’s company.”

Vaggie glared angrily, wishing her stare was strong enough to bore eyes through Alastor’s damn skull.

Alastor smiled and said, “How’s about you and I go into the city for some last-minute preparations for tomorrow?”

“Forget it,” Vaggie said as she shook out of Alastor’s hold and attempted to walk past him to get to Angel’s room. “I’m not helping you sell Angel. There’s no fucking way!”

Alastor chuckled as he grabbed Vaggie, pulled her back into his arms, and said darkly, “Vaggie, dear, I’m not asking you if you want to accompany me. I’m telling you to.”

Vaggie felt a shiver run down her spine and a gulp go down her throat as Alastor summoned her purse, took her arm in his, and merrily walked her out of the room and down the hall.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alastor finally unveils his plans for Angel.

Vaggie reluctantly rested her head on Alastor’s shoulder as their limo drove to an unknown destination. 

After a long day of being dragged all over Pentagram City for errands, only getting a break for lunch and for dinner, all Vaggie wanted to do was return to the manor to check on Angel. 

Alastor hadn’t said a word about Angel all day. Even when Vaggie asked about her injured friend, Alastor hardly acknowledged it with more than a shrug. That did nothing to calm Vaggie’s fears. The more the day wore on, the more time Vaggie spent hoping and praying that each stop would be at the manor so that she could speak to Angel for herself. 

Every time Vaggie thought they were done, Alastor sadistically added another destination to make their day together even longer, much to her chagrin. The day already felt like it would never end, and Alastor sadistically made sure that didn't. 

However, since dinner was eaten and the sun, or whatever you called it in hell, was setting, Vaggie was certain that they would be returning home. 

Unfortunately, when she felt the limo stop, Vaggie lifted her head to see that the limo had pulled up to yet another building that she did not recognize. 

Vaggie sighed in disappointment as Alastor exited the limo, held open the door, and gestured for her to follow him. 

“Here we are, dear,” Alastor said. “Our last stop of the day.” 

“Great,” Vaggie replied sarcastically as she begrudgingly stepped out of the car. 

Alastor shook his head with a chuckle and said, “Come now, Vaggie my dear. Haven’t we had a good day today?” 

“Hardly,” Vaggie replied. “You’ve been dragging me all over Pentagram City to set up the auction for Angel!” 

“I’m only establishing your status as my wife, dear,” Alastor said taking Vaggie’s arm in his, much to Vaggie’s obvious chagrin. “As you will learn, among us overlords, asserting your status is everything. Now, come along. Our hosts are waiting.” 

Vaggie fumed silently as Alastor walked her down the path to the front door of the mansion ahead. 

It was a gorgeous Italian-style mansion that Vaggie only recognized from travel magazines. Statues of famous men dotted the garden. In passing, Vaggie recognized the names she could see as being Italian as well. 

Wait a minute. 

Vaggie suspiciously examined the house and noticed that the windows were detailed with art nouveau-style stained glass images of spiders. 

Oh, no. 

“Alastor, where are we?” Vaggie asked. 

Alastor smiled at her, clearly thrilled that she had finally caught on to what was going on. 

“You already know the answer to that, Vaggie, my dear,” Alastor replied. “We’re at Angel’s family’s home.” 

Vaggie narrowed her eye and simply asked, “Why?” 

“Simply to meet with them, dear,” Alastor said stepping onto the stoop of the door. 

“There are other demons bidding on Angel,” Vaggie said finally pulling her arm away from Alastor’s. “We haven’t spoken to any of them…” 

“An astute observation,” Alastor said with a light chuckle as he leaned down to her eye-level, reached his hand towards Vaggie, and gestured for her to come back to his embrace. 

“Why are we here?!” Vaggie growled. 

Alastor, completely unfazed, gently took Vaggie’s hand, pulled her into another unwanted hug, looked into her eyes, and said, “I told you, my dear. Simply to meet with them.” 

Vaggie’s eye settled into a glare before looking away as she realized she wouldn’t be getting any more answers out of Alastor for the time being. She would have to observe and figure out what was going on from there. 

Alastor took Vaggie’s arm, rang the doorbell, and waited until the door opened revealing a short grey spider demon with red but cold, almost emotionless eyes. Vaggie knew him from Angel’s description to be Arackniss. 

“Good evening, Arackniss,” Alastor said, confirming Vaggie’s suspicions. 

“You’re here early, Alastor,” Arackniss said, cutting straight to the point. 

“Well, we had some extra time and thought that we’d take care of this meeting a bit early,” Alastor replied. “Is that alright?” 

“Sure, Dad and I have nothin’ else goin’ on,” Arackniss said before looking at Vaggie curiously. 

Vaggie greeted Arackniss’s gaze with a nasty glare. 

Arackniss smirked in amusement at her and said, “So, you’re the dame everybody’s been fussin’ over.” 

Vaggie scoffed and said, “I guess word travels fast.” 

“Well, you and your fiancé did announce it over the radio…” Arackniss replied. 

“He is not my fiancé!” Vaggie snapped. 

“That’s not what Alastor told us,” Arackniss said with a shrug. 

“Well, he…!” Vaggie began. “Hey!” 

Alastor had wrapped her arm around her waist, gave it a squeeze, chuckled out loud, and said, “Oh, Vaggie. Aren’t you just a peach?” 

Vaggie growled at Alastor under her breath in response, but her protests were ignored. 

“Uh huh,” Arackniss said gesturing for his guests to follow. “Come on in.” 

Alastor and Vaggie entered the house arm in arm. Vaggie glared at Alastor and continued glaring as Arackniss shut the front door and began speaking with Alastor. 

Vaggie quietly listened while pretending to look at the home’s lavish and somewhat gaudy décor, but besides plans about the auction that Vaggie already knew, Alastor and Arackniss did not say anything knew. 

When Alastor and Vaggie finally arrived in the living room, Arackniss turned to Alastor and said, “You two can make yourselves comfortable. I’ll go get my father.” 

“Will do,” Alastor said merrily as Arackniss exited the room to find his father. 

Alastor sat down on the red leather couch and pulled Vaggie down next to him much to her obvious chagrin. 

Alastor not-so-subtly put an arm around Vaggie and asked, “So, do you like it, dear?” 

“Not really,” Vaggie said pulling her arm away from Alastor and instantly scooting to the far side of the couch. “Can you please quit touching me?” 

Alastor instantly appeared on Vaggie’s side of the couch, wrapped his arms around Vaggie, and protested, “But a husband always holds his darling love close.” 

“I liked you better when you didn’t like being touched,” Vaggie snarled as she angrily pushed Alastor away. 

“Oh, Vaggie,” Alastor said with a chuckle as he put his arm around her waist again. “Your love has changed me. I love feeling your skin against mine. I don’t mind you touching me.” 

Vaggie scoffed, removed Alastor’s arm from her waist, and said, “Well, I don’t need to be held. Besides, if you really love someone, you let them go.” 

“But there’s always the risk that you’ll run away from me,” Alastor said, looking into her eyes with a condescending smirk. 

“Where would I run to?” Vaggie retorted. 

Alastor relented and said, “Good point.” 

Just then, Arackniss entered the living room with his father Henroin. 

Henroin was taller than Arackniss but smaller than Angel with an intimidating demeanor only accentuated by his eight red eyes and his slightly more humanoid features that distinguished him from either of his sons. He appeared to only have one pair of arms. His bulky, muscular body was covered in grey, fluffy fur. He wore a red tie with a fedora hat similar to the one Angel would occasionally wear. 

Vaggie knew all Angel had to say about Henroin and greeted his arrival with another glare, just as she had with Arackniss. 

Henroin stared back at Vaggie as he lit his cigarette, seemingly amused that she was not afraid of him despite his intimidating status. 

Henroin took a puff of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke before he said, “So, this is the whore we’ve heard so much about, Radio Demon…” 

Alastor narrowed his eyes, summoned his static, flashed an angry smile, and said, “Sir…I must ask you not to refer to my wife this way.” 

“Very well,” Henroin said with a shrug. “Would you and your wife like some brandy?” 

The static instantly disappeared and Alastor’s smile returned in a flash. 

“We’d be delighted,” Alastor replied. 

Henroin walked over to his alcohol cabinet to prepare the drinks. 

Meanwhile, Alastor’s arm stretched and snaked around Vaggie’s waist. Much to Vaggie’s chagrin, Alastor swiftly pulled her close to him so that they were practically touching. 

Vaggie growled as she pushed Alastor away from her just as Henroin came back with four arms summoned to hold each glass. 

Henroin chuckled as he passed out every glass at once and said, “Your wife is quite spirited.” 

Alastor sighed lovingly glancing in Vaggie’s direction and said, “It’s one of the many reasons I love her.” 

Vaggie responded with an eye roll and sipped her brandy as Henroin took his seat. 

“Now then,” Henroin said, leaning back in his chair. “Shall we talk business?” 

“Of course,” Alastor said, pausing only briefly to take a drink from his glass and pull Vaggie back to his side before he continued. “Your son will be healed as of tomorrow. I had him bathed today, but I will still have Rosie thoroughly disinfect him tomorrow to make sure he doesn't carry any diseases. As you requested, he is weak and underweight, but he still has quite the attitude. He wasn't too happy when I told him you were coming. He tried to attack me when I let him and Vaggie eat breakfast together this morning. I have had to keep him tranquilized today except for his meals. I can't imagine he'll be too happy when he sees you.” 

“Anthony has rarely, if ever, been happy to see us,” Arackniss replied with a sigh. 

“Why are you bidding on him then?” Vaggie asked suspiciously. 

Everyone turned to look at her. Vaggie glared back. There was so much wrong with this scenario and she was going to find out what was going on. 

Henroin finally broke the silence. 

“Because, unlike you, that man-fucking slut needs to let his family fix him and make him into a normal person,” Henroin replied between sips of brandy. 

Vaggie scoffed and said, “You really think you could control Angel?” 

“We can and we will, doll,” Arackniss answered with a dark smile. “Don’t you worry your little head about it.” 

“Whatever,” Vaggie said disdainfully. “As fucked up as Angel is, he is one of the hotel’s best patrons. He was seeking redemption long before any of you fucks got involved.” 

Henroin rolled his eyes while sipping his brandy, set the glass down and said, “A mistake like Angel can never change. Unlike you, Anthony needs actual psychiatric help.” 

“You’re the ones who need psychiatric help,” Vaggie spat back angrily. “Angel wants nothing to do with either of you, and you have left him alone for decades. Why do you care about him now?” 

Arackniss shrugged and said, “No real reason, other than it has been too long for him to be this loosey goosey.” 

“Loosey goosey?” Vaggie said incredulously. 

“Dearest, do we really have to spell it out for you?” Alastor asked with a chuckle. “I mean, you and he have similar backgrounds. Do you not? He is in the same background you used to be in.” 

“I’m still a lesbian, you moron…” Vaggie said through gritted teeth. 

“That was before you accepted my proposal,” Alastor retorted. “But that’s beside the point…” 

“That fuck needs to be reeled in and taught how to behave like a normal, fucking person, instead of a slut who sleeps with any man he lays his eyes on,” Henroin interrupted before an argument could break out between the couple. 

Vaggie was stunned for only a second before she angrily narrowed her eyes and thought of a decent reply, “And you three are ones to talk? I cannot believe how hypocritical you all are considering I am in the presence of two Italian mobsters and a voodoo-practicing serial killer! Yeah, Angel’s a slut, but if I remember church correctly, Jesus spent more time with prostitutes than with rich people and said they were closer to heaven! I also seem to remember that in terms of deadly sins that lust was considered less offensive than stealing or murder…” 

Arackniss’s lips curled into an amused smirk and he said, “So, what are you sayin’, doll?” 

“I’m sayin’…” Vaggie said mockingly imitating Arackniss’s accent. “…that, in terms of offenses against God, Angel is still less offensive than any of you!” 

After a moment of silence, Alastor cracked up laughing. Henroin joined him while Arackniss simply cracked an amused smirk. 

“What is so funny?!” Vaggie fumed, angrily getting to her feet while waiting for the men around her continued to stop mocking her with their derisive laughter. 

“Doll,” Henroin managed to get out as he tried to wipe his tears and stifle his own laughter. “You say that like you actually know who or what he is, and he’s not normal.” 

“He’s still a better person than any of you,” Vaggie growled, clenching her fists. “Besides, what is normal anyway?” 

“I don’t know,” Arackniss shrugged. “But we’ll find out once we get to put him through therapy.” 

Vaggie paused as she felt her heart skip a beat and asked, “Therapy?” 

“Gay conversion therapy,” Alastor added right before Vaggie felt herself getting pulled back to the couch right against Alastor’s side. “Isn’t that right, Henroin?” 

“Yep, Dr. Red has set it all planned it all out, complete with electric shock therapy and a lobotomy if Anthony refuses to cooperate,” Henroin said as his lips curled into a sadistic smile. 

Vaggie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. They couldn’t do that to Angel. It was too cruel. 

“You wouldn’t,” she said in shock. 

“I would and I will, toots,” Henroin retorted. 

“You, son-of-a-bitch!” Vaggie shrieked, trying to launch herself towards Henroin only to have Alastor pull her back. “How could you?! He’s your son! You don’t feel anything for him! Do you?! No wonder he fucking hates you!” 

Henroin chuckled out loud as he set his finished drink aside and said, “You say that as if I should give a damn about how he feels. Anthony spent his life being a failure and has spent his afterlife screwing up our name by turning himself into a fucking slut for the masses, on the silver screen no less. All I ever wanted for him was to make him a good made-man like his brother, but no, he was too busy being a fucking screw-up! If Anthony had just listened to me, his life would have been easier. He would have been living large instead of dying like a dog in the gutter from an overdose and spending his eternity as Valentino’s prized fuckboy. Anthony doesn’t know what’s good for him. He never did. You don’t know either, doll face.” 

“And you fucking do?!” Vaggie asked with a scoff. “I know Angel better than you ever have. He is an idiot who screws up, but he is truly pursuing freedom from this hellhole and that’s something you won’t ever be able to stop. Even if by some miracle you managed to outbid Valentino and subjected Angel to your stupid therapy, we all know he would never crack. Not to you, motherfuckers.” 

Henroin and Arackniss’s faces lit up in confusion. They looked over to Alastor who simply winked. None of that was lost on Vaggie. 

Vaggie delivered Alastor a particularly pointed look and asked, “What are you…?” 

“Are you done insulting us now, darlin’?” Arackniss cut her off with annoyed exhaustion behind his voice. 

“Of course not,” Vaggie replied with a snarl. “I could keep this up for all eternity.” 

Arackniss smirked amusedly, leaned on his hand, and asked, “Is that a fact?” 

“Shall I count the ways, you pompous jackass?” Vaggie spat back. 

Vaggie heard a dark chuckle, felt the familiar clawed hand squeeze her shoulder, and heard a lowered voice say, “Vaggie, darling, you need to zip it. Or, I can make Angel’s life more hellish after he’s sold.” 

“What are you talking about?!” Vaggie snapped as she smacked Alastor’s hand away. “You have no idea who’s going to buy…” 

Vaggie’s eyes fell on Alastor with his smug, unwavering smile and saw the same smiles on the two other spider demons in the room. When their expressions didn’t change, Vaggie instantly understood everything. 

“YOU BASTARD!” Vaggie screamed at the top of her lungs as she sprung to her feet and began punching Alastor’s chest with all her might. “YOU SICK FUCKING BASTARD!” 

Henroin and Arackniss sat nonchalantly in their chairs watching the scene in amusement. Alastor did the same. 

“So, I take it you didn’t tell her you sold my brother to us,” Arackniss quipped as he sipped his brandy. 

“No,” Alastor replied, completely ignoring his fiancée punching him in the chest. “I couldn’t. She would have told Angel.” 

“STOP FUCKING IGNORING ME!” Vaggie shrieked with tears of anger rolling down her cheeks as she continued wearing out her knuckles on Alastor’s frozen-meat hard chest. “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! HOW COULD YOU DO SOMETHING THIS CRUEL?! YOU COULD LET ANYONE ELSE BUY ANGEL!” 

Alastor caught one of Vaggie’s knuckles in his hand, stopping her mid-punch, pulled her gently onto his lap, stroked her hair, and said, “That bluenose is the one who stuck his nose where it didn’t belong. If Angel valued his freedom so much, he shouldn’t have tried to take you away from me.” 

SMACK! 

Henroin and Arackniss’s mouths fell wide open. Vaggie had slapped Alastor across the face. 

Vaggie angrily hopped out of Alastor’s lap and growled, “I don’t belong to you. I belong to Charlie, you son-of-a-bitch. I belong with her, at the hotel, with all its inhabitants, even with Angel, but not to you. I will never ever be yours.” 

Vaggie threw another punch aimed at Alastor’s face, but he caught it in his hand, sighed tiredly, and asked, “Are you quite finished?” 

Vaggie knew she wouldn't win this way. She had to think of something, anything that could help Angel. So reluctantly she sat back down on the couch and turned away from him. 

Henroin chuckled out loud and said, “Are you gonna put up with this disrespect for all eternity?” 

Alastor looked at Vaggie and then back at his host and said, “My bride will learn to love and respect me in time. But for now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to finalize the last details of our prisoner transport.” 

“Of course,” Henroin said. 

“How will you be transporting my brother?” Arackniss asked. 

“With a muzzle, a straitjacket, and shackles around his feet if he doesn’t behave,” Alastor responded with a sadistic grin. “Should that suffice?” 

“It should,” Arackniss said placing his empty glass on the table. “The good doctor is also preparing syringes of sedatives just in case we need them...You have something to say, darlin’?” 

Vaggie didn’t respond but glared at them disgustfully in a desperate attempt to hide her fear and the bile rising in her throat. 

“That reminds me,” Alastor said turning the attention back to himself and his hosts. “When do you plan on beginning Angel’s therapy?” 

“As soon as he arrives,” Henroin replied, taking a final sip of his drink before setting the empty glass down on the table next to his chair. 

“Really?” Alastor asked springing to his feet excitedly. “Does that mean you have all the accommodations together already?” 

“Yep, the builders finished just today,” Henroin said getting to his feet. “Would you and your girl like to see it?” 

“No,” Vaggie said getting to her feet and attempting to walk towards the front door. “I think we should...” 

Snatch. 

“We’d love to see the accommodations,” Alastor practically sang out as he pulled Vaggie back into his arms. 

“Alright, then,” Henroin said nodding gesturing his head towards Arackniss. “You have the keys, Arackniss?” 

“Yeah,” Arackniss said, literally hopping to his feet and walking in front of the group. “This way...” 

Henroin followed him with Alastor and Vaggie following right behind. 

Vaggie tried pulling away and even suggesting that she could wait in the car but Alastor simply dismissed her words and kept pulling her along. 

After walking to the back of the house through the large dining room and into the hallway right before they reached the kitchen, the group finally made it to a large metal door of stainless steel. 

“Here we are,” Arackniss said sliding open the lock to the basement door. “We used to use the basement for interrogations and ransoms, but we decided to make it the place for Anthony’s therapy. Dr. Red thought the area needed to be spruced up to be more therapeutic, so we decided to let him renovate. They got done renovating the room today.” 

The large door swung open. Arackniss flicked on the light switch and gestured for his father and the unhappy couple to follow behind him. 

Henroin and Arackniss walked down the stairs against the wall first followed by Alastor and Vaggie. 

The stone stairs echoed as the group made their way down to the basement below. 

Vaggie looked around to get a view of Angel’s new prison. 

The basement was laid out like an apartment. 

The basement walls were painted clinically white and the floor was covered in dark hardwood. The ceiling above was lit with fluorescent lights. 

In front of where the stairs ended was a door leading to a bedroom and an open door next to it revealed a white-tiled, porcelain bathroom with two doors connecting it to the bedroom and to the rest of the basement. On the other side of those doors, there was a kitchenette area with all the normal appliances that looked quite pleasant. There was even a narrow basement window to let some light in. 

On the other side of the basement, there was a fainting couch with off-white fabric and a brown leather chair sitting right next to it, both sitting on top of a navy-blue rug. The area looked cozy enough to sit and relax in. 

Back against the stairs were a washer and dryer followed by a storage closet of some kind sitting to the left of them. 

At first glance, the room looked nice enough to be a decently-price separate apartment, but unfortunately, Vaggie had to take a second look. 

In the middle of the basement was a chair with straps and a car battery sitting next to it on a cart with pliers connecting to some head gear with a bit for the teeth, a makeshift electric shock machine straight from the days of old. Sitting on top of the machine was an ice pick and a chisel for carrying out a lobotomy. 

Vaggie began shaking in both rage and fear. She couldn’t believe that all this had come together in less than a week. How long had Alastor been planning this? 

Henroin’s smile turned into a grin and he asked, “So, what do you think, Alastor? Is this to your satisfaction?” 

Vaggie could see Alastor’s smile grow wider in a sadistic smile, imagining all the torture that would be carried out on Angel, before he finally said, “Henroin, my good man, this is absolutely marvelous. Your renovators did a fantastic job. Is that room there where Angel will be sleeping?” 

“Yes,” Arackniss replied as he opened the door to the room at the bottom of the stairs and flicked on the light switch. “This room required the most work. This is where Dr. Red said Anthony should sleep.” 

Alastor and Vaggie looked into the room and beheld a white-padded room cooled with a vent pumping air into the room and lit with another narrow window and fluorescent lighting. The room was bare except for the long single bed in the center of the room with leather cuffs meant to restrain Angel’s arms and legs while he slept. 

“Oh, Henroin, this is wonderful!” Alastor gushed. “This looks exactly like a room from an asylum back in the day!” 

“That’s the idea,” Arackniss said with his lips curling into a smirk as he walked into the room and picked up some clothes off the bed. “And this will be Anthony’s uniform...” 

“Uniform?” Alastor asked bemusedly. “You mean, your brother won’t be wearing his normal clothes?” 

“No son of mine is dressing like a fucking fruitcake,” Henroin scoffed. 

“Dr. Red recommended it,” Arackniss said showing Alastor and Vaggie the plain gray, long-sleeved shirt, the gray slacks, and gray loafers. “Neither of us think Anthony will like it, but I think he’ll learn to appreciate it in time.” 

“Fat chance,” Vaggie muttered out under her breath. 

“Excuse me?” Arackniss replied raising an eyebrow. 

“Yes, dear,” Alastor goaded. “Please do speak up if you have something to say.” 

“How could you treat Angel like this?!” Vaggie snapped, pushing Alastor off her and getting right into Henroin’s face. “He’s your son and your brother! But you’re going to lock him away to be tortured!” 

“Only until he cooperates, dear,” Henroin said with a scoff. “We don’t just want to keep my son locked away for all eternity. We want to restore him as a member of the family. If Anthony decides to submit and do what we want, he’ll start getting privileges back...” 

“And if he doesn’t?” Vaggie snarled. 

Henroin walked over to the chair, picked up the ice pick, and said, “This will go straight into his brain.” 

Vaggie glared angrily until she remembered something very important and her features relaxed back into a smirk. 

“That isn’t going to work,” Vaggie replied calmly. 

“What do ya mean?” Henroin asked. 

“Angel’s a demon,” Vaggie explained. “The brain you remove will grow back no matter how many times you remove it. You’re wasting your time.” 

Henroin smirked back and said, “Not with this one, sweetheart. Look closely.” 

Vaggie looked at the ice pick more closely, and sure enough, it was the same kind of metal used in exterminator weapons. 

Vaggie gasped and backed up in horror until her back hit the stairs before she stammered out in almost a whisper, “W-why? Why are you doing this? Angel will be useless if you lobotomize him. He’ll only be a shell of who he was. You might as well send him to the void. He wouldn’t ever be the same.” 

Vaggie thought she saw Arackniss shrink back for a second as if he were thinking and hesitating, but before anything could come of it, he simply shrugged his shoulders and said, “It won’t come to that, doll. We won’t let it. Even if it did, we’d keep him comfortable. It’d be for the best.” 

Vaggie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. 

Vaggie shook in fury and in rage and shrieked, “PUTAS! YOU SONS OF WHORES! I’LL KILL YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS!” 

Vaggie ran for Henroin and Arackniss, but Alastor came up behind her, held her arms back, and began dragging her towards the stairs. 

“I think it’s time for us to go,” Alastor said before Vaggie somehow managed to get worm her way out of his grip. 

“Tell me the truth,” Vaggie demanded Henroin and Arackniss. “You never outbid Valentino. You never even wanted to take Angel back. What is Alastor giving you to do all this?” 

“Lots and lots of territory,” Alastor answered with a flourish before returning his voice to an unsettling normal tone. “But you ought to know, Vaggie, that the Spider Family did win the bid for Angel. You see, my bid wasn’t for money. It was for who could make Angel the most miserable in exchange for territory.” 

Vaggie couldn’t find the words to speak as she shook angrily at the Radio Demon in front of her, so instead, she pushed past Alastor and ran up the stairs to get out of the basement. 

With a side movement of his finger, Alastor locked the door so that when Vaggie tried the handle it wouldn’t budge. 

Vaggie turned around just as Alastor reached the bottom of the stairs and asked, “How long have you been planning this?” 

“Only since Angel tried to take what was mine,” Alastor explained with a demented smile as he began climbing the stairs. “I wasn't going to originally settle for Angel's family. I met with others who I thought would want him for some reason or another. There were some good candidates. Cherri Bomb was willing to do anything to save her friend. She begged, pleaded and she even wanted to give me some territory. All just to save her friend. There are things I could have used her skills for, but I decided against her because I knew she would let him go. Rosie and others wanted him for pleasure, but I had to decide against them. Angel would have enjoyed that far too much. Sir Pentious wanted to burn him alive. Valentino was desperate to get his number one star back. The Spider Family just wanted the territory. They made it to the top three. Sir Pentious was willing to give me multiple weapons but I decided against him mostly because burning would have been too easy. Valentino was the next obvious choice. He wanted to get Angel back and lock him away in the studio for all eternity as punishment for running away from him and trying to get out of his contract, but I know Valentino has a soft spot for that lout. Even if he locked Angel away and worked him like a pack mule like he said he would, Valentino would have made his life too bearable. I wanted that bluenose to be trapped in a world where he would never be happy even for a moment. So, when Angel’s family told me what they were planning, I just couldn’t say no.” 

“Then why would you set up the auction?!” Vaggie asked with narrowed eyes that angrily glared right into Alastor’s. “What was the point?” 

“Simple dearest,” Alastor chuckled darkly with a sadistic smile as he leaned his head down until he was looking directly into Vaggie’s eyes. “Just to watch his hope fade and die. To break and crush him to nothing like the scum...” 

PUNCH! 

Vaggie punched Alastor square in the jaw. Every fiber of her being was pulsating in fury as the angry tears began falling from her eyes. 

“YOU’RE A FUCKING BASTARD!” Vaggie shrieked. “I HATE YOU!” 

Alastor straightened up, took Vaggie’s hand in his, held it against his cheek, and said, “You don’t now, but you’ll grow to love me in time.” 

“Bastardos menos hijos de putas!” Vaggie yelled in Spanish. 

“What the hell does that mean?” Henroin interrupted. 

“YOU BASTARD SONS OF WHORES!” Vaggie shrieked as she attempted to bold past Alastor to attack Henroin and Arackniss. “I’LL KILL YOU! I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU! I WON’T LET YOU HURT ANGEL!” 

Unfortunately, Alastor grabbed onto Vaggie and held her back as she strained and kicked and screamed and writhed desperately while the tears continued falling down her face. 

Alastor used his tentacles to open the door, ignored Vaggie’s thrashing, walked back into the hallway, and said, “I need to take my bride home, gentlemen. Thank you for having us.” 

“You’re welcome,” Arackniss answered, him and his father climbing up the stairs behind them. “Please have Anthony ready to go so that we can take him home after the real auction is over.” 

“Of course,” Alastor said with a smile in his voice as he picked Vaggie up off her feet so that her feet were kicking the air instead of at his shins while he walked down the hallway back to the house’s entrance. “I’ll see you both tomorrow. Please feel free to bring another guest if you feel so inclined. We’ll have plenty of food.” 

“Will do,” Henroin said with a smile flicking off the basement lights as he waved to Alastor from the basement’s doorway while his eldest son lit a cigarette next to him. “See you tomorrow.” 

Alastor was eerily silent as he dragged Vaggie kicking and screaming through the house and back to the car. All the while, Vaggie was screaming with rage, tears dripping down her eyes. 

Once they finally got to the car, Alastor pushed Vaggie into the car before climbing behind her and driving off without saying a word.


	32. Chapter 32

As soon as Alastor took his seat in the car, Vaggie started punching and kicking Alastor with all her hatred and fury while Alastor sat still unhased and paid Vaggie no mind while waiting for her to calm down. 

Vaggie punched and kicked until she tired herself out and became a crying and sobbing mess...That was until Vaggie realized that she still had the chance to warn Angel when she returned to Alastor’s manor. 

Then, from then on, Vaggie remained quiet on that awkward drive home. Alastor was oddly quiet too until they returned to his home. Once the limo’s door was opened, Vaggie made a rush to the door, wanting to run and warn Angel of the danger he was in. 

Alastor stood there, surprised at Vaggie’s urgency, and asked, “Sweetheart, where are you going?" 

Vaggie didn't respond, hoping that he would just think she was going to her room to cry some more. Once she made it to her bedroom, Vagggie threw herself onto the bed and pretended to sob into her pillow. 

When she thought she had listened out for Alastor long enough, Vaggie took her pillow, walked into the bathroom, locked the door, and started desperately banging on the wall to get Angel's attention while calling out his name. 

Unfortunately... there was no answer from Angel Dust. There was no sound behind the wall beyond the noises of the house. Vaggie began to pound again on the wall more desperately calling out Angel's name. 

When that didn't work, Vaggie had an idea. She grabbed her notebook from the other room and wrote out a full message. Then Vaggie crumpled that paper into a ball, opened the vent connecting both their rooms and stuck that note in Angel's vent. If he went to the bathroom and looked in the vent as he had for his extra food, Angel would see it, but even then, she couldn't be sure that would happen. 

Vaggie felt more tears coming as she covered up the vent, stood up, and continued pounding on that bathroom wall, calling for Angel and praying that the sedatives Angel was under would wear off soon. 

But how ever much she tried... no answer came. Vaggie pounded against the wall until her knuckles were raw... but no answer came. 

Vaggie was determined though. She couldn't abandon Angel. She just couldn't. 

Vaggie got up, laid her towels on the ground, put her pillow on the ground next to the vent, turned off the light, laid her head on the pillow, and waited. 

All was silent as the grave and still as a frozen pond. 

But Vaggie wouldn't leave. She would stay there no longer how long it took Angel to wake up. 

Vaggie felt herself dozing off and was almost gone when she thought she heard footsteps. 

Behind the wall, Vaggie heard Angel’s muffled cry of pain. 

Vaggie sat up right away and yelled, "Angel?! Angel, is that you?!" 

All she heard were muffled cries from Angel. 

Vaggie didn’t hesitate to scream, “ANGEL! IF YOU CAN'T SPEAK, LISTEN! THE AUCTION'S A SHAM! ALASTOR HAS ALREADY SOLD YOU TO YOUR FAMILY! WE WERE THERE TONIGHT! THEY PLAN ON PUTTING YOU THROUGH CONVERSION THERAPY! THEY WANT TO PUT YOU THROUGH ELECTROSHOCK THERAPY AND LOBOTOMIZE YOU WITH A CELESTIAL WEAPON IF YOU DON'T LISTEN! THEY'RE COMING FOR YOU TOMORROW NIGHT! YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE WHILE YOU STILL CAN! DON’T WORRY ABOUT ME! PLEASE, SAVE YOURSELF!” 

It was then that Vaggie heard a cruel chuckle that she knew belonged to Rosie. 

“Dearie, he’s unconscious,” Rosie sneered. “Your little warning hasn't made it to him.” 

Vaggie stepped back in shock at the pompous overlord’s voice before she growled, “Rosie! Where the fuck are you?! Leave Angel alone!” 

“Oh, don’t worry,” Rosie replied in her sweet, mocking tone. “I wasn't harming Angel, dearie. I was only giving him medicine to help him remain asleep. I'm surprised you're still awake. It looks like you need to take some medicine, too.” 

“FAT CHANCE!” Vaggie snarled regaining her stance against the wall. “I WON’T REST UNTIL I WARN ANGEL!” 

That was, until a strong arm wrapped around her arms and chest holding them down and another hand held a strong smelling cloth to her nose and mouth. 

"Hush, dear,” Alastor cooed while effortlessly holding his struggling bride. “It's late, and Angel is trying to sleep. It's past time for you to be asleep, too." 

Vaggie struggled as hard as she could but quickly fell unconscious.


	33. Chapter 33

Vaggie woke up in the bed the next morning. She sat up and looked down at her blue silk night slip groggily. It took Vaggie a moment to remember what happened the night before, but when she did, she immediately dashed for the bathroom.

Vaggie banged on the wall and yelled, "Angel! Are you there?! Angel?!"

There was only silence as her answer.

In desperation, Vaggie ran out of the bathroom, across her room, and tried the door. To her surprise, it was unlocked. It opened immediately. Vaggie opened the door with a surprised expression on her face and dashed over to the room next door. To her surprise, that door was unlocked, too.

Vaggie opened the door and dashed in only to discover that the room was empty. Angel wasn’t there. There was nothing in the room except for a bedside table with a lamp on top of it, an empty sitting area in an alcove by the window, and an empty bed backed up against the back wall.

Vaggie walked in and started looking around for any clues of Angel's whereabouts, but she had nothing to go on. She walked into the bathroom and checked the vent. Sure enough, it was empty. That meant there was hope.

Vaggie turned around and saw Alastor standing right there under the doorframe.

“Hello, darling,” Alastor said with a pleasant smile. “You're up earlier than usual."

Vaggie narrowed her eyes into a glare and asked, “Where's Angel?"

“He’s being prepared to be sold,” the Radio Demon answered without hesitation. “The auction is tonight. Remember?”

“Where is he?!” Vaggie quickly replied.

“Being prepared,” Alastor replied again, taking a step towards Vaggie and bending down until he was able to look her in the eyes.

Vaggie twitched her eye as she was starting to lose patience, "Where is he being prepared?"

Alastor smirked with a sadistic grin and said, "With Rosie."

Vaggie’s face contorted in fear and in anger as she yelled, “WHERE?!"

Alastor playfully cocked his head to the side and replied, I believe that that is none of your concern. Now then..." He tapped his staff on the ground and his familiars appeared. "We must get you ready.”

Vaggie pushed her way past Alastor and dashed through the room and into the hall.

Unfortunately, his familiars grabbed hold of her arms and pulled her back. Vaggie struggled to break free from Alastor’s shadows, but once again, her efforts were fruitless.

"Let me go!!!!!" Vaggie screamed in between curses in Spanish.

Alastor walked up to Vaggie with his dominant and condescending smirk and said, “No, my dear. You are going to be dressed by my familiars and are expected to be well-behaved today. Now, let’s get you into your bathroom so we can get you cleaned up."

Vaggie snarled like a wild animal and tried to lunge at Alastor, but the familiars pulled her back into her room with ease. Before she knew it, Vaggie was shoved into the bathroom and the door was locked behind her.

Realizing there was nothing she could do, Vaggie turned away to use the toilet, take a shower, and take care of all her other needs until the familiars finally let her out.

Once Vaggie emerged from the bathroom in her blue bathrobe and clean pair of underwear she found hanging on the doorknob, the familiars sat Vaggie down in the studio chair summoned in front of her vanity mirror and instantly got to work. One familiar took care of drying her long hair and began to style the long threads of hair. A couple of other familiars began to give Vaggie a manicure and pedicure, filing and painting the nails.

Yet another moved to the wardrobe and began sorting through dresses that Vaggie could wear before selecting one that was awfully familiar to Vaggie. It was that damn dress he made her wear when he sang his disgusting reprise of Charlie's song.

Vaggie instantly recognized the dress from its reflection in the mirror she was looking into, twisted her face into a scowl, and said, “No, not that one!”

The familiars looked disappointed until Alastor appeared behind them and replied, "Yes, that one!"

Vaggie glared angrily at Alastor as she remembered how he had pushed her around when he spoke to Charlie for the first time and how he had even slapped her butt when he was singing...Oh, God...

Just then, Vaggie came to a horrible realization.

“Oh, God,” Vaggie said, feeling the bile rise in her throat. “All the times you messed with me were your way of flirting?!"

Alastor smiled happily as he leaned against the wall next to the vanity and said, “So sharp! That is what I love about you! Finding the dots that connect! Of course, I was in denial of my feelings back then…”

“Go fuck yourself,” Vaggie interrupted, angrily staring at the wall on the opposite side of the vanity so she would not have to look at Alastor.

Unfortunately, Alastor teleported into Vaggie’s line of vision and said, “So bold, my darling. That is another trait I love.”

“If your familiars weren’t restraining me…” Vaggie snarled.

Alastor chuckled and said, “Vaggie, my love, I only wanted to see how you were doing…”

“Great,” Vaggie interrupted sarcastically with an eye roll. “Now, tell me where Angel is or go away.”

“But then you wouldn’t get breakfast or lunch,” Alastor appeared next to the vanity and retorted.

“Okay,” Vaggie huffed. “Where’s the food then?”

Alastor disappeared again only to show up back in the doorway and replied, “It’ll be waiting in the dining room with me. My familiars will escort you there when you’re done being all made up.”

“Fantastic,” Vaggie muttered sarcastically.

“I’ll be waiting in the dining room,” Alastor sang out merrily before he walked back down the hall, leaving Vaggie to her “pampering.”

After what felt like an eternity of preparing with the familiars, Vaggie was finally allowed to go downstairs to join Alastor for brunch. She threw open the doors to the dining room, stomped angrily into the room in her high heels, and waited for him to notice her.

The deer demon looked up from the plate of food he was eating and dropped his fork. His breath was taken away. Vaggie looked every bit as beautiful as she did when he dressed her for the reprise of Charlie’s song.

“My dear Vaggie,” Alastor said clapping his hands together and holding them against his face as his lips curled into a sweet smile. “You are absolutely breath-taking!”

Vaggie only responded with a scowl and sat down at her spot on the other side of the table.

“Oh, do try the tarts! They’re delectable!” Alastor said gesturing to the banquet of food in front of them.

Vaggie was silent as she began serving herself from the various food sets in front of her on her side of the table. Meanwhile, Alastor verbally laid out his plans for the rest of the day.

Vaggie did not pay attention. As she ate, all she could think about was Angel and where Rosie could have taken him.

Alastor quickly caught on to the concerns occupying Vaggie’s mind. She had not said a word since she entered the room.

Alastor began asking her questions, but Vaggie only continued to eat as if he hadn’t said anything.

Alastor finally sighed in defeat and rang a bell that was sitting next to his plate.

Rosie immediately appeared in the room wearing a work dress with an apron over it.

Vaggie quickly perked up when she saw Rosie walk to the table. From the look of the overlord, she looked like she was busy, terribly busy with Angel.

“Yes, Alastor?” Rosie asked, stopping hallway between Vaggie and Alastor. “Is there something you need?”

Alastor gestured to Vaggie and said, “Vaggie here is quite worried about Angel. Could you tell us how he’s doing?”

Vaggie looked at Rosie and listened intently now as she tightly gripped her glass of water.

“Oh, Vaggie. Angel is doing well,” Rosie said looking back at Vaggie with a sadistic smile. “He’s eating and drinking and using the bathroom as normal. Angel’s fit as fiddle. His only problem is that he doesn’t like his muzzle…or his straitjacket…”

Vaggie angrily squeezed her glass until it began to crack.

“Or his cage…”

Vaggie had enough. She broke the glass of water she was holding in her right hand causing it to cut through her glove into her hand and making it bleed. Vaggie then grabbed a shard of glass and sprung for Rosie.

Alastor snapped his fingers a a mass of black tentacles wrapped around Vaggie’s arms, holding her securely but gently.

Alastor then bolted out of his seat and rushed towards his angry fiancée who was thrashing desperately to escape the tentacles’ hold.

“Oh, my dear Vaggie, you’re hurt!” Alastor said, his facial features softening in concern. “We must see to that wound right away. Please stay still. It’s bleeding.”

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Vaggie screamed as she angrily attempted to escape the tentacles that held her arms still.

Alastor summoned a container of an unknown substance and pulled Vaggie's glove off. Rosie rushed over behind him with hand sanitizer for his hands.

After cleaning his hands, Alastor picked up the container, twisted it open, and said, “It is alright, my love. Your hand will be better in no time.”

Vaggie snarled and tried to yank her hand away, but the tentacle only moved her hand in front of her where Alastor could reach it.

Alastor chuckled as he dipped his hand into the container and said, “"Really, Vaggie, I am trying to help you. I don't want you to get hurt."

Vaggie glared at Alastor and said, “Unlike Angel…”

“The little blue nose is getting what he deserves," Alastor said while rubbing the container’s contents on Vaggie’s hand.

Vaggie growled at Alastor angrily as he finished his work.

Alastor smiled happily as he soon as he saw the cut on Vaggie’s hand instantly heal and disappear without even leaving a scar.

“There we go,” Alastor said, pulling a clean white glove over Vaggie’s healed hand. “All better. Now, if we’re done eating, let’s take care of those last-minute preparations for the auction.”

“Do you need me for anything else, Alastor?” Rosie asked.

“That will be all for now, Rosie,” Alastor replied. “You can go back to assisting Angel. Don’t work too hard. I wouldn’t want you to run out of time to prepare yourself for the night.”

“You know you don’t need to worry for me, dear,” Rosie replied merrily as she teleported away.

Alastor allowed Vaggie to pull her hand out of the tentacle’s grip. She glared angrily in Alastor’s direction as he took her arm and walked her out of the dining room.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank my buddies, Twilight-Na and DinobotKing for all their help.

After a long day of making dull preparations, the night of the auction finally came. 

Alastor and Vaggie stood at the bottom of the stone staircase that led to his front door to greet the guests, the overlords and kingpins and important people of Hell that he invited to his auction, while Rosie was inside tending to Angel’s last minute needs and welcoming the incoming guests.

Vaggie stood there against her will, arm-in-arm with Alastor. 

Cars and vehicles from every era stopped at Alastor's front porch. The variety was impressive as were the guests inside. Over 100 kingpins and a small number of Ovelords from throughout history began arriving, demons of every size and every nationality.

Meanwhile, the deer familiars and shadow creatures attended the guests and kept watch for anyone who was unwelcome. 

None of that impressed Vaggie. She stared through the kingpins and overlords as they walked by, wondering how she could help Angel.

Alastor did most of the greeting while Vaggie stood in silence. He was too occupied with his guests to notice.

Vaggie didn't begin paying attention until a flash of light struck her eyes. And then another.

“Oh, my God! It’s Alastor’s bride! I would have never believed it if I didn’t see it myself. Come on, pretty darlin’! Give us a pose!” said a hyper and cheerful voice.

Vaggie blocked her eyesight from the flashes, and as her vision adjusted, she saw a slim female demon with grey-brown skin in pigtails and an old-fashioned dress that made her look like a giant doll. After another moment, Vaggie recognized this demoness as the overlord Velvet with the TV-headed Vox standing right beside her.

Despite knowing their reputations, Vaggie simply glared at them both.

Velvet ignored the glare and snapped another photo.

“Oh, I love that angry expression on your face,” Velvet cheered as she snapped more photos. “Come on. Give me that glare! Show me all your hatred now! Now, let’s have a selfie!”

Velvet put her arm around Vaggie and held up her phone to take a selfie, but before she could snap the photo, Vaggie slapped the phone out of her hands causing it to fall towards the stone steps. A large hand caught the phone and handed it back to Velvet. 

Vaggie looked up to see Vox, the television demon. Alastor looked upon the scene and let go of Vaggie.

“To her, Vaggie,” Alastor said.

“Hey!” Velvet protested. “What was that for?!”

Vaggie shot Velvet a nasty glare and snarled, “I don’t want to be photographed anymore. Leave me alone!”

“Excuse me!” Velvet replied with an arrogant and bemused smile as she approached the angry moth demon. “Honey, just who do you think you are? Just because you’re attached to an overlord doesn’t mean you don’t owe us any respect. So, I suggest you drop the attitude before…”

“Velvet,” Alastor interrupted calmly as he took Vaggie’s arm in his. “If my future wife doesn’t want to be photographed, my future wife will not be photographed. You will not disrespect her, or I will be asking you to leave the auction.”

Velvet relented and turned away to pout next to Vox.

“Alastor,” Vox said.

“Vox,” Alastor replied. “How nice to see you.”

Vox scoffed and retorted, “Now, that’s a first.”

“You should know how love changes a man, Vox,” Alastor replied hugging Vaggie closer while she growled unnoticed.

“I never thought I’d see the day when you’d decide to marry, especially not to this pretty little doll. She’s far too pretty and spirited for you,” Vox said, reaching his hand out to Vaggie. “Come on, sweetheart. Take my hand.”

Vaggie looked at his hand, looked at his face, and said, “Fuck off.”

Alastor burst out in laughter and held Vaggie tighter, “Oh, Vaggie! That’s why I love you.”

Even Velvet chuckled in the background. Vox simply stood up straight and stewed with his wounded pride.

“You two are perfect for each other,” Vox replied passive aggressively.

“Speaking of which, where is Valentino this evening?” Alastor said, letting Vaggie go to wipe tears from his eyes. “I take it that he did not ride here with you.”

“If you must know, he had some business to take care of, so we rode in separate limos,” Vox said, before a sadistic smirk appeared across his face. “But I should warn you. Valentino ain’t happy. Infringing on an overlord’s contract and stealing the soul of a contractee are ballsy moves even for you, especially considering that contractee was Valentino’s number one moneymaker.”

“You say that like I should be concerned,” Alastor replied with a chuckle.

“ALASTOR!” a loud voice echoed across the courtyard. 

Everyone at the top of the stairs looked over to see Valentino storming out of his limo. Every fist was clenched, his teeth were grating, and his eyes were settled into a fiery glare. 

Alastor pushed Vaggie behind him just before Valentino grabbed the collar of Alastor’s coat and screamed, “I WOKE UP THIS MORNING TO FIND ANGEL’S SOUL MISSING! I KNOW IT WAS YOU WHO STOLE IT, YOU DEER-FACED MOTHERFUCKER!”

Alastor smirked, tilted his head to the side, and said, “Now, Valentino, you’re the one who lost the auction. Being a sore loser is not going to help anything.”

A laugh track played around them as Valentino dropped Alastor to the ground in front of him.

“You underhanded son-of-a-bitch!” Valentino retorted. “First, you kidnap Angel and break almost all his bones! Then, you refuse to hand him over to me or even let me buy him back because ‘I wouldn’t make him miserable enough’ whatever the fuck that means!’ Then, just to add insult to injury, you steal his soul and nullify our contract?! You’re fucking stupid if you think I’m gonna let you get away with this!”

Without batting an eye, Alastor chuckled maliciously and said, “You don’t have a choice, my good man. You neither have anything I want or anything with which you can threaten me into changing my mind…”

“But that’s where you’re wrong,” Valentino interrupted. “I know about the deal you have made with the princess regarding her precious hotel. It would be all to easy to destroy. Believe you me. So, either you give Angel back or me and my boys will be forced to destroy the Happy Hotel…”

“DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE!” Vaggie cried angrily. “If you even look at Charlie, I’ll tear you to fucking shreds!”

“What she said,” Alastor added.

Valentino looked over at Vaggie in surprise at first and then with an amused smile on his face.

“So, you’re Alastor’s new squeeze?” Valentino replied, allowing his angry demeanor to relax. “Congratulations.”

“Go fuck yourself,” Vaggie replied, narrowing her eyes and balling her fists, causing Alastor to cackle out loud.

“Charming,” Valentino replied sarcastically before turning back to Alastor who had regained his composure. “This is no laughing matter, Alastor. Angel is my number one star!”

“You mean number one sex slave?” Vaggie retorted angrily. 

Valentino scoffed, leaned down to Vaggie’s eye level, and said, “What you call a slave, I call a star. I don’t know what you’ve heard about me at your hotel…”

“I heard enough,” Vaggie interrupted. “Angel told me everything about you and what you did to him.”

Valentino scoffed again and replied, “Oh, really? What did he tell you about me?”

SLAP!

Vaggie slapped Valentino across his face, knocking off his glasses and causing Vox and Velvet to gasp in shock.

“That you groomed him, abused him, and turned him into your own personal boy toy!” Vaggie snarled. “You’re a monster!”

Instead of lashing back, Valentino picked up his glasses, put them back on, stood up straight, stared down at Vaggie with a condescending smile on his face, and replied, “That’s what Angel is. Isn’t he? He made the contract with me. If he isn’t happy, Angel has no one to blame but himself.”

“YOU MOTHERFUCKING…Hey!” Vaggie screeched as she attempted to strike Valentino again only for Alastor to pull her back next to his side.

“Now, now, Vaggie, that’s enough,” Alastor said holding his bride against his chest. “You need to watch your temper.”

Vaggie squirmed out of his grip and retorted, “You can fuck right off!”

Valentino snickered at the scene and flashed another condescending smirk as he playfully twiddled his fingers in front of Vaggie’s face and said, “Ooh, you’ve got yourself a fiery little lady there, Alastor.”

Vaggie attempted to bite down on Valentino’s fingers, but Alastor held his hand over her mouth and pulled her back again.

“Vaggie, dear, I must ask you to calm yourself,” Alastor said, using both arms to hold back his angry and snarling bride.

“Or what?!” Vaggie snarled.

“Well…” said Alastor as he turned Vaggie around, held his hands on top of Vaggie’s bare shoulders, and flashed a devilish smile. “I will order Angel’s family to give him extra therapy.”

Valentino’s expression changed from bemusement to intrigued as he said, “Angel’s family. Is that who you sold him to?”

Vaggie growled angry at both the sons-of-bitches standing in front of her.

Just then, to make matters worse, Henroin and Arackniss climbed out of their limo and walked up the stairs.

Vaggie directed her angry glare away from the two overlords and over to the two spider demons approaching them.

“Good evening, Alastor,” Arackniss said, having reached the top of the stairs first. 

Alastor smiled and greeted him back, “Good evening, Spider Family. Are you two ready to pick up your item?”

Henroin reached the top of the stairs and replied, “Not quite yet. We can take Anthony home after the auction. Arackniss and I wanted to stick around to enjoy food and see what other items you were bidding on. Is that alright?”

“Of course,” Alastor said grandly gesturing to the door behind him. “Come on in and make yourselves at home.”

“Wait,” Valentino interrupted. “You’re Angel’s Family?”

“Yeah,” Arackniss replied, looking apathetically into the eyes of the much taller overlord. “What’s it to ya?”

Vaggie began trembling in anger only for her fiancé to hold her back against his waist once more.

Valentino’s demeanor instantly changed as an opportunistic smile flashed across his face.

“Don Henroin…” Valentino said.

“Yes?” Henroin replied.

“You know who I am. Don’t you?”

“Yeah, so?”

“So, I was wondering if there was any way you could be persuaded to give me your son. As an overlord, I am well-connected, so I promise I could make it worth your while…”

“No,” Henroin interrupted.

Valentino paused, looking absolutely stunned.

Arackniss shrugged and said, “I’m going inside. Dad and I will let you know when we’re ready to see my little brother.”

“Wait, he’s your little brother?” Valentino replied.

Arackniss rolled his eyes, tipped his hat to Alastor and Vaggie, and said, “Good evening, doll,” to Vaggie as he passed by them, Vox, and Velvet and entered the manor.

Valentino immediately turned back to Henroin and said, “Sir, your son is quite the performer. He’s my number one star in fact. Wouldn’t it be more profitable to the both of us if you shared your son with me? I’d be willing to split half the profits I earn from his work with you. What do you say?”

Valentino reached out a hand only for Henroin to scoff and say, “We’re not keeping him gay…”

“Why not?” Valentino asked in surprise. “It’s so good for business.”

“I don’t care about your business,” Valentino replied walking past Henroin and his two friends. “We’re turning my son into a full-functioning member of the family. We ain’t letting him stay as he is. After his doctor gives him his treatment, my son’s going to be normal whether he likes it or not.”

Valentino followed Henroin into the manor followed by Vox and Velvet and shouted after him, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

Vaggie growled angrily wondering how she was going to help Angel, but her expression changed as she noticed another spider. This one was a woman, completely pink with a heart on her bosom, striped on her limbs, poofy hair, and a black dress over her body.

Alastor cocked his head in confusion and asked, “And who might you be, young lady? You look awfully familiar. Did you come here with anyone?”

“The name’s Molly,” the spider demoness replied. “My Dad and my brother just walked in ahead of me.”

“Oh!” Alastor exclaimed. “You’re part of the Spider family! That certainly explains the resemblance! I didn’t realize Angel had a sister…”

“I’m his twin,” Molly interrupted determinedly taking another step towards Alastor. “Where is my brother?”

Vaggie looked at her attentively without saying a word.

“Why, he’s with the other items,” Alastor replied. “But don’t worry, my dear. You’ll get to see him.”

Molly blinked her large eyes, puffed out her lips, and asked sadly, “Is there any way I might see him now, Mr. Alastor, sir?”

Completely unphased, Alastor replied, “Later, my dear.”

“Your brother’s in trouble!” Vaggie managed to get out before Alastor pulled her more closely to his side and gave her a reprimanding glance.

“I know,” Molly replied quietly. “You must be Vaggie…”

“Indeed, she is,” Alastor interrupted, taking Vaggie’s arm and practically dragging her to the front door. “Now, come along, my lovely ladies. All the guests have arrived and it is time to begin the dinner!”

Vaggie and Molly shared one more nervous glance before Molly nervously followed Vaggie and Alastor inside.


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I finally got the formatting down. Yay!!!!

Alastor led Vaggie and Molly into the ornately decorated grand ballroom he had taken Vaggie to earlier that week.

The room looked the same except long tables replaced the round tables that were there before giving the guests more room to walk around.

Alastor led Vaggie to a special spot next to the head of the table closest to the stage where he was sitting. 

A multitude of kingpins and overlords sat themselves at the various tables and the room buzzed with their conversations.

Molly sat down next to Vaggie. Rosie sat across from them. Alastor sat down at the head of the table as the first course of the meal officially began.

The first course was clam chowder and bread. 

The moth demon glared at the food in front of her. She never got this kind of privileged food even after her death, but Vaggie wouldn’t take a bite.

Alastor noticed, picked up a spoonful of clam chowder, and directed the spoon towards Vaggie’s mouth.

“Take a bite of food, darling,” Alastor said, poking Vaggie on the lips with the spoon. “You look positively famished.”

“I’m not hungry,” Vaggie said, refusing to look in his direction.

Alastor turned Vaggie’s chin to face him, gave her a reprimanding look, and said, “Please, eat, darling. This is good food. Remember what we spoke about earlier?”

Vaggie growled at him, but reluctantly began to eat. 

Molly ate and watched Vaggie in sympathy.

Once the first course was done, Arackniss and Henroin walked over to where Alastor was sitting.

“Hello, gentleman,” Alastor said, wiping the remains of soup from his mouth.

Vaggie held her water goblet in her hand and sipped nervously. Molly turned around to look at her family.

Arackniss took the cigarette out of his mouth and said, “We want to see my little brother.”

“Of course,” Alastor said, rising in his chair. “Come along, Molly dear.”

Molly rose from her chair. Vaggie immediately did the same.

Alastor stepped behind Vaggie, gently pushed her back into her chair, and said, “Nah, ah, ah, my dear Vaggie, you need to stay here with Rosie.”

“No!” Vaggie exclaimed, getting back to her feet and pushing her chair under the table behind her. “Can’t I see my friend one more time before you give him away?!”

“You’ll see him soon enough,” Alastor replied with a chuckle.

“You’re lying,” Vaggie retorted. “I demand you take me to see Angel now!”

“Hmmm…” Alastor pondered for a moment, purposefully dragging out his response to annoy Vaggie more before taking Vaggie’s arm. “Alright, my darling. Come along. Let’s go see Angel. Rosie, would you keep an eye on our guests?”

“Of course,” Rosie replied. “Have a good time!”

With a smile on his lips, Alastor walked away from the tables and walked towards the backstage with Vaggie on his arm and Spider family following behind him. They soon disappeared into the hallway going backstage.

Unbeknownst to them, the three V’s noticed and noted everything.

Alastor, Vaggie, and Angel's family entered the backstage area. After walking down a short hallway, they entered a large room. 

Nestled in the corner of the room in between all the antiquities, weapons, artifacts and expensive items, there was Angel sitting in a cage just big enough for him to stand up and sit down in. He was in a straitjacket with a muzzle over his mouth and black pants and shoes over his feet.

Vaggie didn't waste any time.

Swiftly, Vaggie got in front of the group, and yelled out "Angel, Alastor lied!"

Angel groggily looked up from where he was sitting in the cage and said, "Vaggie, it's okay…"

Vaggie, on the verge of tears, cried out, “No! I have to tell you! Alastor has…!”

Alastor placed a hand on Vaggie’s shoulder and said, “I think it's time we left Angel alone with his family.”

“NO!” Vaggie screamed as Alastor took her arm and firmly but gently began to lead her back to the ballroom while she desperately tried to pull out of his grip.

With tears of desperation of his own coming down his cheeks, Angel yelled down the hall, “Vaggie, I know! It’s okay! I’ll come back for you!”

“Don’t lie to her, little brother,” Arackniss’s cruel voice said with a chuckle as he puffed on his cigarette. “That’s not nice.”

Angel and his brother shared a glare until Molly broke the silence.

“Angel!” Molly yelled as she dashed to the cage. 

Angel smiled warmly and leaned his head against the bars so that she could give him a hug.

“Hi there, Molly,” Angel said as his twin sister hugged him through the bars. “I never thought I’d see you again.”

“Oh, Angel!” Molly cried. “What has that brute done to you?! Hold still! I’ll remove that muzzle!”

“Nothin’ I couldn’t handle,” Angel reassured her, turning his head so that she could remove the muzzle.

“You know I hate it when you lie to me,” said Molly as she quickly unbuckled the muzzle and let it fall onto the floor of the cage. “Now, hold on. I’ll untie your straitjacket…”

“No, you won’t!” Henroin commanded spooking Molly into backing away. “The straitjacket stays on until we take him home.”

Angel finally allowed himself to glare at his father and older brother standing in front of the cage and staring down at him.

Angel got to his feet and said, “Hey there, big shit and little shit. What do you want?”

“To see how much work we have ahead of us,” Arackniss replied with a mocking smile. 

Angel rolled his eyes and said, “Oh, yeah. For the therapy, right?”

Arackniss and Henroin blinked in shock for a moment before the latter asked, “How could you possibly know about that?”

“You tried it for about the first 20 years we were here,” Angel retorted angrily.

Henroin sighed deeply and said in an attempted caring tone, “We were only trying to help you, son. You have something deeply wrong in your head…”

“Bullshit!” Angel snarled. “You both just want to get me out of sight and into gay conversion therapy, so I stop embarrassing you!”

Molly jumped to her feet and yelled, “How could you?!”

“It’s for his own good, Molly,” Henroin said. “He’ll thank us for it later.”

“Bullshit!” Angel retorted angrily. “Since when have you cared about what’s good for me?! You just want to mold me into your image of a perfect son and zap me back to hell if I refuse!”

Henroin scoffed and replied, “If that’s how you want to put it…”

“Why, Dad?” Angel replied with angry tears stinging the corners of his eyes. “Why? Why do you need to change me? Why couldn’t you two just accept me for who I am? Why do you have to go out of your way to make me fucking miserable?!”

“Why do you go out of your way to make our reputation shit?!” Arackniss spat back.

Angel’s mouth fell open in disbelief and he replied, “Reputation?! I don’t even live with you anymore! How am I ruining your reputation?!”

“Like it or not, you’re still a part of our family and your actions reflect upon us!” Arackniss yelled.

“We’re tired of you running around like a tramp for that tasteless pimp!” Henroin snapped, holding onto the bars of the cage and looking into Angel’s eyes. “Starting tomorrow morning, you will be undergoing some intense therapy to correct your sexual deviancy once and for all! You’ve been allowed to wander for far too long, Anthony! You’re coming home tonight and that’s final!”

“Oh, wow, such caring,” Angel replied sarcastically. “Excuse me while I choke on all the crap you’re spewing!”

“I can’t believe you two! How could you?!” Molly yelled.

“Molly, don’t you want Anthony to come home!” Henroin retorted.

“Not if it means letting you torture him!” Molly snarled back.

“It’s for his own good!” Arackniss snapped desperately. “We’re doing this because we care! You have been that fucking pimp’s boy toy for long enough, Anthony! If you comply, you’ll be part of the family again! Don’t you want to come back?”

“Will you fuck off with that shit already?!” Angel snapped back. “If Alastor wasn’t giving you territory, you’d be content to let me be auctioned off!”

“Be grateful we even made an offer, ingratio moccioso!” Henroin retorted, slipping into his Sicilian Italian.

“Ingratio moccioso (ungrateful brat)?!” Angel asked incredulously. “You’re putting me through gay conversion therapy, and I’m supposed to be grateful? Vai a cacare!”

“Non dire cazzata, rottinculo!” Henroin spat back.

“Smettila di urlare a papa, tu cazzone!” Arackniss snapped.

“Smettila di urlare a Angel, mezza sega!” Molly shrieked back.

“Zitto, cogliona!” Arackniss yelled.

“Don’t you dare fucking insult Molly, ya kiss-ass!” Angel yelled. “That goes for you too, Dad! I’m sick of both of you! I don’t care if you ice pick my brain! I ain’t going back to the fucking family and that’s final!”

Arackniss was about to insult Angel again, but then he caught something, flashed a wicked smirk, and said, “Tell us. How did you know we were doing gay conversion therapy, Anthony?”

Angel saw Arackniss’s suspicions and felt a shudder run through his spine.

“What do you mean?” Angel asked, trying to hide his nerves.

“Yeah,” Henroin replied, catching on to his son’s suspicions. “And how did you know Alastor gave us territory in exchange for you?”

“A lucky guess,” Angel said, blurting out the first words that popped into his head.

Arackniss walked up to the bars, flashed a cruel smirk, and said, “The broad tipped you off. Didn’t she?”

“Maybe,” Angel lied. “Or maybe Alastor told me?”

“That seems unlikely,” Arackniss replied before he puffed on his cigarette.

“Yeah,” Henroin agreed, taking a few steps away from Angel’s cage. “But there’s only one way to find that out.”

“No!” Angel protested, his eyes flashing in panic.

“So, it was the broad,” Arackniss replied. “I knew it…”

Angel’s eyes flashed in fear before going back to a hateful glare.

“What does it matter, Arackniss?” Molly asked. 

“It matters a great deal,” Henroin replied. “I think Alastor should hear about this.”

“NO, PLEASE!” Angel cried out desperately. “YOU CAN’T!”

“Dad, you can’t do that!” Molly begged. “You saw how that brute treated her at the front door. If he finds out that Vaggie told Angel, he’s gonna do somethin’ awful!”

“I know,” Henroin said, staring Angel and Molly down cruelly until…

KICK!

Arackniss and Molly’s mouths fell open in shock. 

In his desperation, Angel had kicked his father in the groin causing him to keel over onto the floor in front of the cage. He then reached his leg through the cage and began angrily stomping his father’s head into the floor. 

In all his years of suffering under his father, Angel had never dared to attack him like this.

“YOU! WILL! NOT! SAY! SHIT!” Angel yelled, accentuating each word with a stomp. “You have no idea what Vaggie has suffered under Alastor! I will not let you make things worse for her!”

PUNCH! 

No sooner had those words escaped Angel’s lips, then had Arackniss punched Angel in the face to get him off his father.

Angel reeled back until his back hit the back of his cage and he fell onto his bottom.

“Angel!” Molly cried, pushing Arackniss aside and reaching her arm into the cage so that she could rest her hand against his cheek. “Are you alright, big brother?!”

Arackniss scoffed as he helped their father to his feet and asked incredulously, “You’re really worried about him after what he did to Dad?”

“I don’t feel nothin’ for you two!” Molly snapped back. “You’re gonna torture my twin brother!”

“You shouldn’t feel nothin’ for him either,” Angel interjected, just managing to hop back onto his feet. What I did to him is nothing he hasn't been doing to us for our entire lives! Why do you think Molly and I left, Arackniss? It’s because of Dad and his cruelty and all his bullshit that has poisoned us since the day we were born. Don’t you see it? I know you do. Quit trying to deny the truth.”

Arackniss looked away, desperately trying to ignore another one of Angel’s attempts to make his older brother see reason.

Henroin scoffed and covered his bleeding nose with one hand before he retorted, “All I did was to make sure you fit the bill of the life you're supposed to have!"

“The life you thought we were supposed to have,” Angel snarled, giving his Dad an especially pointed glare. “I don’t care if you try to chisel my brain with that exterminator ice pick! I ain’t changin’ for you!”

Henroin shook his head in disappointment, flashed a smirk, and said, “That’s what you think, son.”

Just then, a shadowy figure emerged behind them before revealing himself to be Alastor.

“What’s going on?” Alastor asked. “I can hear you yelling from the ballroom.”

“Just some family troubles, Radio Demon,” Arackniss answered first. “Nothin’ we can’t handle.”

“Your dame told Anthony what we were planning,” Henroin answered maliciously with a devilish smile as he painfully rubbed the sore spot on his chest.

Alastor’s left eye twitched in shock, anger, and frustration. His smile disappeared for only a moment before it reappeared on his lips, barely concealing the rage inside.

“I see,” Alastor said once he had regained his composure. “I will see to it that she is reprimanded…”

“NO!” Angel yelled in a panic, desperately reaching his head through the bars. “Haven’t you made her suffer enough, you son-of-a-bitch?! Leave her alone!”

Alastor turned to the cage, flashed his signature smile, and said, “Vaggie is my bride and my wife. What I do to punish her is none of your concern.”

“Vaggie’s my friend! That’s more than she’ll ever be to you! Even if you force her to marry you, she’ll never be yours! She’ll always be Charlie’s! You couldn’t make Vaggie happy if you tried! Besides,” Angel said, smirking and leaving a pause for dramatic effect. “You’re not even a good kisser…”

SMACK!

Alastor crossed the room and backhanded Angel so hard that he hit the back of his cage.

“Speak in such a manner again,” Alastor said, hyperventilating between each sentence while still retaining his smile. “And you’ll find your tongue sliced out.”

Angel smiled flirtatiously and moaned, “Oooooh, Daddy! That sounds like a fun time! Why don’t you come over here and try it?”

Alastor quickly regained his composure again and replied, “I would, but I have a misbehaving wife to attend to.”

Angel’s expression fell in a panic as he yelled “No!” before throwing himself against the door of his cage, resulting in a loud clang against the bars.

With every sentence that followed, Angel threw himself against the door of the cage in a desperate attempt to escape. 

“My hope ain’t dead…”

Clang!

“you son-of-a-bitch!”

Clang!

“I don’t care…”

Clang!

“…if it takes…”

Clang!

“10,000 years!”

Clang!

“I won’t give up…”

Clang!

“…on Vaggie!”

Clang!

“Hey!” Angel yelled, falling backwards onto the floor of his cage.

Having had enough of his annoying efforts, Alastor finally snapped his fingers causing ankle cuffs to appear around Angel’s ankles so that he couldn’t attack the door of his cage anymore.

Alastor then summoned a pair of keys, handed them to Arackniss, and said, “Here are the keys for later. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go discipline my wife.”

Alastor walked away, and Henroin and Arackniss looked down at Angel with condescending smiles.

“We’ll be back to pick you up after the auction, son,” Henroin said. “Until then, think about changing your attitude before you place yourself in even deeper shit than you are now.”

“F-mmph!” Angel yelled, before the muzzle reappeared over his mouth.

The Spider Family looked over at the hallway to see Alastor standing in front of it. 

“I suggest you keep all Angel’s restraints on until it’s time to take him home,” Alastor suggested. “In fact, I demand it.”

“Sure,” Henroin replied. “No problem. Thanks again for all your help and your territory.”

“Of course,” Alastor said, gesturing down the hallway. “Now, let’s return to our dinner and the rest of the auction.”

Henroin instantly turned and headed down the hall.

Arackniss walked over to Molly, grabbed her hand, pulled her to her feet, and said, “Come on, Molls. Let’s go eat.”

“I’ll be there in just a minute,” Molly said, yanking her hand out of Arackniss’s grip. 

“I’m afraid I must insist, dear,” Alastor called out from across the room. “Say your goodbyes to Angel and let’s go.”

“I’ll make sure she leaves,” Arackniss reassured Alastor. “You can go on ahead.”

Alastor nodded and said, “I’ll hold you to your word, my good man,” before disappearing down the hall.

“Say what you need to say and come on,” Arackniss said, turning and walking down the hall behind Alastor. 

Molly kneeled down to Angel’s level and whispered in his ear, “Don’t worry, big brother. I’ll get you outta here somehow. Just stay strong.”

“What about Vaggie?” Angel asked.

Molly looked askance for a moment and then looked back at Angel and said, “I’ll see what I can do.”

Angel smiled under his muzzle and nodded. 

Then without another word, Molly got to her feet and walked out of the room.


	36. Chapter 36

Meanwhile, Alastor and the other two members of the Spider Family returned to the grand ballroom where the kingpins and other overlords were dining away.

Arackniss and Henroin watched Alastor nervously as he approached Vaggie. That anxiety was not lost on the three V’s sitting next to them, and the other kingpins and overlords seemed to quickly catch onto it as well.

Vaggie was too preoccupied with her dinner to notice at first, but she soon noticed the others staring at her.

Vaggie’s only response was to cock an eyebrow annoyedly and disinterestedly from the unwanted attention and wonder what was going on.

Suddenly, Alastor placed his hands on Vaggie’s bare shoulders and said, “I know what you did, dear.”

Vaggie could tell from his tone and from the strength of his grip that Alastor was fuming. He knew. He had to.

“Don’t. Lie. To. Me,” Alastor replied, tightening his grip on Vaggie’s shoulders with every word.

Vaggie stood up, turned around, swiping Alastor’s hands off her shoulders as she did so, and exclaimed proudly, “If this is about Angel, then yes! I admit it! I left Angel a note in the vent to warn him about what you were going to do to him!”

If any kingpin or landlord wasn’t paying attention to her, they certainly were now. All of them, except for Valentino who had just noticed the keys in Arackniss’s coat pocket.

Despite his anger, Alastor didn’t let down his smiling façade. 

His only response was to tut at Vaggie and say, “Vaggie, Vaggie, Vaggie, I am quite disappointed with you, dear.”

“I don’t care!” Vaggie shouted proudly. “Angel’s my friend! I was not about to let him get whisked away with no idea of what he was getting into! I don’t care what you do to me! It was worth it!”

Alastor stood silently for a moment and looked angrily through Vaggie, never dropping his smile, but shaking almost unnoticeably from what Vaggie knew was jealousy and rage.

Vaggie looked up into Alastor’s eyes and felt her blood run cold. His eyes were trembling, as if he wanted to cry rage-filled tears but was using all his power to hold them back.

For Alastor to even show this much emotion was unprecedented. For Alastor, any demon who showed such emotion was pitiful and weak. And for himself, that was unacceptable.

Vaggie knew that and everyone else knew that. Everyone waited anxiously to see Alastor’s response as much in fear as in curiosity. Even Rosie looked concerned.

Everyone, except for Valentino, who slyly slipped his hand into Arackniss’s coat pocket.

Finally, Alastor looked down at Vaggie and simply asked, “Oh, really now?”

Vaggie, despite being much shorter than Alastor, looked up to him and snarled, “Yes, you pompous, arrogant asshole! And I’d do it again! I will never submit to you! Angel won’t either!”

Molly, who had just re-entered the ballroom, turned invisible and backed up against the wall to see what Alastor would do.

“Are you quite done?” Alastor asked, as his familiar emerged from his shadow and approached Vaggie. “I think it’s time for you to learn your place.”

The familiar grabbed onto Vaggie's arm and began pulling her towards the backstage hallway. 

The rest of the ballroom was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

Some of the other demons in the room watched in amazement and sick pleasure. Others turned away in fear and pity, waiting for the event to end. 

Even the Spider Family, Vox, and Velvet were stunned into inaction, transfixed by the scene in front of them. 

No one in the room noticed Valentino holding the keys and dashing out of the large ballroom.

The Radio Demon stood in place and watched gleefully as his familiar dragged Vaggie back towards the backstage hallway.

Vaggie tried to break free, but her efforts were futile since the shadow familiar was stronger than her.

"No! Where are you taking me?!" Vaggie cried.

“Somewhere to reflect on your actions until the auction is over,” Alastor replied. “I’ll see you later, dear.”

The familiar dragged Vaggie towards the backstage area. Molly camouflaged herself and crept silently against the wall while Alastor's familiar dragged Vaggie into the backstage hallway.

Vaggie stopped fighting, hoping against hope that the shadow would imprison Vaggie with Angel.

But unfortunately, the shadow stopped at a random, unmarked door on the left side of the wall that stood out against the hallway with the marked dressing room and storage room doors.

The familiar unceremoniously swung open the door and flicked on the light switch revealing a plain room with four concrete walls, a vent, and a chair inside. 

Vaggie attempted one more time to break away, but it was completely fruitless.

Without having to extend any effort, the familiar dragged Vaggie into the center of the room and pushed her down into the chair.

Once Vaggie sat in the chair, black tentacles wrapped around her, forcing her arms down on the arm rests and tying her legs to the legs of the chair. One last tentacle wrapped tightly around her mouth.

Having finished his work, the familiar opened his mouth and Alastor’s voice came out of it, saying, “Fear not, my love. You’ll only be here until the evening has concluded. Until then, please take the time to reflect on your behavior.”

The familiar gave one more demonic smirk as he exited the room, shut the door, slid the lock shut and walked away.

Vaggie sat alone in the dark. The only light came from under the door. 

Vaggie was completely immobilized, but she did not lose her cool and mentally prepared herself for the hours of loneliness she had ahead of her.

After all, despite her circumstances, Vaggie had one thing to be happy about. Angel had received her warning. Even if he was helpless, Angel now had a fighting chance.

Then suddenly, before she had time to think anymore, Vaggie heard the door unlock and looked up to see Molly standing in the doorway.

Vaggie gasped in surprise and gasped against her bindings.

“Vaggie,” Molly said. “I could use your help, and it looks like you could use mine.”

Vaggie looked into Molly’s eyes and nodded.

Molly smiled as she entered the room, flicked on the light, summoned a knife, and let the door shut behind her.


	37. Chapter 37

Meanwhile, Angel sat in his cage struggling against his straitjacket, hoping and praying he could find some flaw in its design that he could take advantage of to escape. But no matter what he tried, Angel could not break free from his restraints.

Angel finally leaned back against the bars of the cage and let out a deep sigh. He didn’t notice the red smoke seep under the emergency exit door and push it open from the other side.

“Fuck,” Angel muttered to himself. “Vaggie, please hold on. I hope you’re doing okay…”

“I’d be more worried about what I’m going to do to you once we get back to the studio, Angel Cakes,” an all-too-familiar voice interrupted.

Angel felt his heart stop as he turned his head towards the source of the voice.

To his terror, Angel saw Valentino walking towards him and swinging the keys with his driver and bodyguard following behind him.

“Val?!” Angel yelled in terror and surprise. 

“You thought I would let Alastor take you away from me?” Valentino replied with a scoff. “You know better than to underestimate me, dear.”

Angel felt his heart drop into his feet as Valentino approached his cage.

“But I thought…” Angel said at almost a whisper.

Valentino leaned against the cage door, flicked his tongue over his teeth, and said with a wide grin, “That’s a sexy look for you, Angel Cakes. A straitjacket really suits you, especially considering your behavior lately. When we get back to the studio, we will have lots of new films with you in that straitjacket.”

Valentino stuck one key in the keyhole and attempted to unlock the cage. When that didn’t work, he tried the other one and got the door open.

Angel shook himself out of his fearful stupor and stammered, “I…I can’t go back with you.”

Valentino grabbed Angel’s cheeks and squeezed hard while snarling, “Do you think you have a damn choice!”

“You lost the auction and my soul!” Angel said through Valentino’s grip.

“Our contract still remains, Angie,” Valentino said, yanking off Angel’s muzzle with one hand and holding him dangling above the ground with the other. “Only Lucifer himself could break it. Overlord or not, Alastor cannot get in the way of that.”

Then without a word, Valentino dropped Angel on the ground with a thud. 

Valentino then stepped back, tossed the keys to his bodyguard, and motioned for his servants, “Get him into the limo and make sure he doesn’t scream that much.”

Angel coughed out loud as he tried to get himself off the floor. He knew this moment would come. He had been avoiding work and Val for a few weeks before this. Vaggie was right. Angel had changed and Valentino and his bullshit were something he didn’t want to be a part of anymore. Angel knew he had to speak up now. No matter what the consequences were.

So, as the two henchmen were sitting Angel up and unlocking the shackles on his feet, Angel looked at Valentino determinedly and said, “No, Val! I’m not gonna…”

“You’re not to speak, Angie,” Valentino interrupted.

One of the henchmen shoved a thick ball of cloth into Angel’s mouth and tied the gag around his face.

Angel shook his head desperately trying to get the gag out of his mouth while the other henchman finished removing the shackles from Angel’s feet.

“Walk Angel to the car,” Valentino instructed as the henchmen got Angel to his feet. “And be quick about…HEY!”

Angel took his chance. As soon as the shackles were unlocked and he was on his feet, he bolted across the room and away from Valentino and his henchmen. He ran down the hallway towards the ballroom, hoping to get Alastor's attention.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the hallway, Molly and Vaggie burst out of the room with the tentacles and shut and locked the door behind them. They leaned against the wall for a moment, panting for breath. Their clothes were ripped, and their hair was disheveled, but besides that, they had emerged unscathed. They had made it.

“You okay, toots?” Molly asked with an exhausted smile. 

“Yeah,” Vaggie replied with an exhausted smile of her own. “Thanks. I owe you one.”

“It’s nothin’,” Molly replied. “I know what it’s like to be pushed around by men with large egos. I’m always glad to help another girl out. But I’d be lyin’ to say I couldn’t use your help with Angel. I know this is risky, but we have to get him out of here…”

Vaggie held up her hand and said, “You don’t need to ask. I’ll do it.”

Molly replied with a smile briefly before they heard running from the other side of the hallway. 

Before Vaggie and Molly even had much time to think about what they had just heard, they turned around to see Angel running in a straitjacket and moaning into a gag.

Upon seeing his sister and his friend, Angel stopped in his tracks and gave out a “Mmph?!” of surprise.

The trio spent a second looking at each other in surprise before Molly noticed the smoke behind Angel’s head, grabbed Vaggie’s hand, and made them both disappear.

“Angel, get over here! It’s behind you,” Molly cried as quietly as she could while Vaggie took a moment to be surprised at her newly invisible state.

“Mmph!” Angel moaned in agreement.

Angel ran forward to reach Vaggie and his sister, but unfortunately, Valentino’s smoke grabbed Angel by his hair and dragged him back into the prop room.

The smoke pulled Angel back to Valentino who promptly slapped him across the face.

“What the fuck is the matter with you?” Valentino snarled before picking up Angel by his hair. “What do you think Alastor would do to you or me if he saw you in the ballroom?! You should be thanking me, you stupid slut! I’m getting you out of this dump and back in my bed where you belong! Besides, from what I remember, you hate your family.”

Valentino then dropped Angel on the ground again and began dragging him to the limo by the collar of his straitjacket while his henchmen followed behind. 

The henchmen opened the door while Valentino unceremoniously dragged Angel out to the cobblestoned parking lot. One henchman bolted to the limo at the other side of the lot while the other one walked behind Angel and Valentino.

Angel, desperately angry and desperate to buy time for Molly and Vaggie, finally managed to spit out the cloth in his mouth and yelled, “I hate you more!”

Valentino scoffed and said, “When we get back to the studio, I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk for months.”

Seeing that that didn't make Valentino stop his gait, Angel quickly thought of another insult, "Yeah, right. You can't even satisfy that TV boyfriend of yours."

Valentino finally stopped in his tracks, and Angel braced himself for the beating he thought was coming as he heard the limo pull up in front of them.

But instead, Valentino dropped Angel onto the ground with a scoff and said, “I know what you’re trying to do, darling, and it won’t work.”

The bodyguard stuffed the gag back into Angel’s mouth and tightened the knot around Angel’s head.

Valentino effortlessly picked Angel up, held him in front of his face, and said, “What is the matter with you, Angie? You should be thrilled. You get to go back home with me where you belong, away from the nasty people who made your life so miserable. You don’t need to worry. Despite everything you put me through, I plan on treating you well and keeping you safely tucked away until all this drama blows over.”

The bodyguard opened the door to the limo. Angel then felt a slight breeze behind him as if someone dashed into the car behind him and briefly glanced behind him.

Valentino sighed sadly and said, “Honestly, Angie, I don’t know what has gotten into you lately. Has that princess been putting redeeming ideas into your head? Is that why you have been avoiding me, my calls, and my texts? You were never this defiant before. It’s like you’ve forgotten how good I’ve been to you. Can’t we all just go home and forget this never happened?”

Angel breathed into his gag and allowed himself to do something he had never done during his entire stay in hell. Angel allowed himself to glare defiantly straight into Valentino’s eyes.

That look told Valentino everything he needed to know.

Valentino sighed deeply and tossed Angel onto the floor of the limo. Valentino climbed in and shut the door, and the limo began speeding away from the house.

Angel groaned into his gag as he helplessly felt the car moving under him.

Meanwhile, Valentino crawled over to the window between the back seat and the front seat and knocked on the window.

The window quickly rolled down and one of the henchmen handed Valentino a syringe filled with an unknown liquid.

Valentino uncovered the syringe and prepared it for injection.

Upon seeing the syringe, Angel began desperately kicking his legs to keep Valentino away.

Valentino tried to navigate between the legs, but the kicking kept him back.

“I am sick and tired of your bullshit, Angel!” Valentino growled.

“Ffffmmmph mmmmmmph!!!” Angel snarled back through his gag.

Valentino finally jumped on top of Angel, using his second pair of arms to pin Angel’s kicking legs down.

Angel tried to shake Valentino off, but the moth demon laid on top of Angel and finally managed to inject the serum into Angel’s neck.

“Mmrph!” Angel moaned into his gag as he felt his senses fading.

“There, that’s better, Valentino said, recovering the syringe and stuffing it into the pocket of his coat. “Now, we can both relax.”

Valentino then climbed off Angel, placed the helpless spider demon’s head into his lap, and began stroking it while telling him all the wonderful plans he had waiting for him once they got home.

“Oh, Angel, you won’t have to worry about anything. I’ll keep you locked away in your dressing room for the next 100 years. I’ll put a TV in there and one of those handheld gaming things that Vox always talks about. You won’t even miss going outside…”

Angel blinked his eyes, slowly losing movement of his limbs.

Molly and Vaggie sat near the door of the limo invisibly and helplessly. They wanted to act, but they knew that they couldn’t move until they were farther away from Alastor’s house. So, they sat there and prayed for a miracle as the car drove on.


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter in which my fanfic temporarily turns into Mad Max

Thankfully, Molly and Vaggie didn’t have to wait very long.

After about five minutes of driving, all the passengers suddenly heard a crash through the driver’s side window. 

Immediately, the limo swerved off the road onto the road’s right shoulder, knocking all the passengers over to the right with Molly just managing to keep herself and Vaggie invisible.

The next thing everyone heard was the sound of the driver and the bodyguard scrambling out of their seats, coughing, and desperately gasping for air as smoke could be seen blowing through both open doorways of the limo.

“What the fuck is going on?!” Valentino snarled through his teeth, shoving Angel off him and dashing out the door. “Shade, Octavius, what are you…? HEY!”

Molly immediately sprung for the door and locked Valentino out of the car.

“Untie Angel!” Molly said turning her head to Vaggie. “Now!”

Vaggie nodded, sat next to Angel, and pulled the gag out Angel’s mouth.

“Thanks, doll,” Angel replied with a weary smile as Vaggie rolled him onto his side.

“Thank me after we’ve escaped, dumbass,” Vaggie replied sarcastically.

Valentino stood in place absolutely dumbfounded. 

“You’re Angel’s sister and Alastor’s squeeze? How in the hell did you get in there?! And you two!” Valentino snarled towards his two henchmen. “What the fuck did you swerve off the road for?! What is going on?!”

“A bazooka fired a smoke bomb into our car, boss!” the driver managed to get out before he returned to coughing. 

“What?!” Valentino replied. 

BOOM!

Just then, another bomb exploded on Valentino’s back. He fell over, feeling absolutely disoriented.

“HEY, SHITLORD!” a familiar voice screamed from across the road. “BACK AWAY FROM THE CAR NOW!”

“Cherri?” Angel muttered as Vaggie finally managed to pull the straitjacket off his shoulders.

“You?!” Valentino growled, just managing to get to his feet and walk in front of the car with the help of his gargoyle bodyguard while his blue flame driver. “You have a lot of nerve to come after me like this, you little bitch. Where are you?!”

As the smoke billowed around them, the sound of a motorcycle could be heard revving from across the road.

In the next second, a motorcycle sped across the road without a rider crashing into Valentino and Octavius and knocking them off the road.

Cherri Bomb then ran through the smoke and threw another bomb at the two demons pinned under the motorcycle for good measure.

“Right here,” Cherri said before gesturing to Shade trembling next to his fallen boss and co-worker. “And if you try to intervene, I’ll summon a bigger bomb. Now, get in the car and drive me to where Angel is!”

“Cherri! Over here!”

Cherri looked over at the back of the limo to see that Angel had rolled down the window and was wearily waving his arm to get her attention.

“ANGIE!” Cherri yelled in surprise. 

“Cherri!” Angel replied reaching out the window for her. “I missed you!”

“Angel! What are ya doing?!” Molly yelled as she pulled her brother back in his drug-induced stupor. “Get back in here before you fall on the road!”

Cherri ran over to the back seat with a worried expression on her face and asked, “Angel, what’s wrong with you?”

Meanwhile, Vaggie rolled down the window to the front seat, climbed in, shut and locked the passenger side door, climbed to the driver’s seat, and yelled, “Get in and drive! I’ll explain everything, but we gotta get out of here!”

“Okay,” Cherri agreed. 

“Y-you’re not going anywhere!” Shade yelled sheepishly holding a gun in Cherri’s face while Valentino and Octavius worked together to push the motorcycle off them.

“MOVE IT, MOTHERFUCKER!” Cherri yelled, throwing a bomb that went off in Shade’s face which caused him to fall over immediately. 

Cherri quickly jumped into the car and slammed the door shut behind her.

Vaggie slid over and looked out the window in time to see Valentino and Octavius push the motorcycle off.

Before Vaggie could say a word, Cherri took the wheel, got the car out of parking, slammed her foot on the accelerator, and sped away as fast as she could.

From the rearview mirror, Vaggie could see Valentino scream at his men as the two of them opened fire on the limo while Valentino got the motorcycle back on its wheels.

“Oh, fuck! They’re comin’ after us!” Vaggie warned. 

“Oh, dammit!” Cherri cursed, looking through the same rearview mirror. “The motorcycle didn’t explode from the bomb?! I guess the fucker I stole it from had it custom made.”

“Who’d you steal it from?” Vaggie asked. 

“Sir Pentious,” Cherri replied. 

“Of course,” Vaggie said with a facepalm.

“Don’t worry!” Molly said summoning guns with three of her arms while opening the sunroof with her free hand. “I got us covered.”

“Be careful,” Angel said from his splayed out position across the floor of the limo.

Molly stood in the sunroof just as the trio came towards them on the motorcycle and opened fire. Shade drove the motorcycle while Valentino rode behind him and fired his guns back. Octavius flew high into the sky on his gargoyle wings to keep track of the limo below.

“Can someone tell me what the fuck is going on?” Cherri said to Vaggie from behind the wheel. “How did you and Angel get here?!”

“Molly saved me from Alastor,” Vaggie explained. “And we saved Angel from Valentino.”

“Yep,” Molly said, without losing her aim or her concentration. “Alastor punished Vaggie for telling Angel about my family’s plans by tying her down with tentacles in a creepy room, so I got her out of there. Then, we turned invisible and followed Valentino and Angel to this limo!”

“I miss Fat Nuggets,” Angel said, playfully moving his head back and forth. “I want to cuddle him while he goes oink, oink, oink…”

“What’s wrong with Angel?” Cherri asked while Angel continued oinking.

“Valentino drugged him,” Vaggie said.

“What?!” Cherri exclaimed. “With what?”

“I don’t know,” Angel interjected. “But everything’s fine.”

Suddenly a bullet whizzed through the back seat and through the windshield.

“Molly, Valentino’s bullets are hitting the car!” Vaggie yelled. 

“I know!” Molly yelled anxiously. 

“Use this!” Angel exclaimed from the backseat, using his third pair of arms to summon a bazooka. 

“Thanks, twin brother,” Molly said with a wink, grabbing the weapon from Angel and aiming it towards the oncoming motorcycle.

Molly found her target and pulled the trigger. 

Valentino and his driver could only scream helplessly as the projectile hit their motorcycle causing them both to crash over on the side of the road. 

“Bullseye!” Molly screamed while Vaggie, Cherri, and Angel cheered from inside the car.

Octavius instantly dived from his position in the sky to attend to his boss and colleague as the limo continued to speed away. 

Being a flame, Shade stood up unscathed. Valentino wasn’t so lucky.

No one in the limo could see Valentino’s injuries from that distance, but they could see the bodyguard picking up his maimed body in his arms.

Angel sat up, looked out the window, waved his hand flirtatiously, and said, “Bye, bye, bossy!”

“That solves one problem,” Molly said as she lowered herself back into the car and rolled up the sunroof.

“But we have a bigger one,” Vaggie said with a sigh. “Alastor is eventually going to notice we’re gone, and when he does, it won’t take him long to catch up to us.”

“We can hide at my place,” Cherri offered. “That’s originally what I was gonna do with Angel anyway.”

“No, Alastor’s gonna look there because he’s been there before,” Angel said, suddenly leaning into the front seat. “Let’s hide at Molly’s place. She has a nice soft bed, and Alastor won’t think to look there!”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Vaggie said, pushing Angel back into the backseat area. “But I don’t think we could hide there either. We have to hide somewhere where Alastor wouldn’t think to look right away. At least, until Angel recovers, and we can find a way to reach Charlie.” 

“That would be a good idea if this were anyone else, but this is Alastor,” Molly said sternly as her twin brother collapsed onto her lap. “Alastor is one of the most powerful overlords that Hell has ever seen. He has more supernatural power and resources than any of us can comprehend. Neither Arackniss nor my Dad know where I live and that would buy us some time, but I can’t imagine that that would stop Alastor for very long.”

“You’re right,” Vaggie conceded. “We need to get Charlie now.”

“The princess?” Cherri asked.

“Yes, Charlie doesn’t show it, but she is the only being we know who’s powerful enough to fight off Alastor,” Vaggie replied confidently as a smile spread across her face. “She has powers from her father that only the other fallen royalty possess. Trust me, my girlfriend can be fierce when she wants to be.”

“Then, what are we waiting for?” Molly said, handing Vaggie her phone. “Call Charlie now. Here, you can use my phone.”

“Inside of every demon is a rainbow…” Angel began singing from his spot on Molly’s lap as Vaggie dialed her girlfriend’s number.


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear. Husk is the ultimate tsundere. XD

“I love you,” Vaggie said.

“I love you, too,” Charlie replied. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Click!

Charlie ended the call with Vaggie and ran to her balcony. She knew there was no time to lose. Vaggie’s group didn’t stand a chance against Alastor. She had to get there as soon as she could and to do that she needed Niffty’s maps.

Charlie jumped off the balcony and spread her wings to slow down her fall. Once she landed in front of the hotel’s front doors, Charlie dashed in through the lobby and headed straight to the bar. 

Husk stood there with Fat Nuggets whining for food on top of the counter. He had been reluctantly taking turns with Niffty babysitting the pig since his owner disappeared.

“Okay! Okay! Here, you go!” Husk groaned annoyedly sliding a bowl of cherries to the hungry pig who voraciously began eating as soon as the cherries were in front of him. “Now, leave me…What the hell, kid?!”

Charlie stopped in front of his bar, panting heavily, and asked, “Husk, do you know where Niffty is? I need to save Vaggie and I can’t do that without the maps she gave Niffty! Please! I need to find her now!”

“Check the kitchen,” Husk suggested. “I think she’s in there cleaning the whole room from top to bottom.”

Charlie hastily muttered a thanks before she dashed away to the kitchen.

As soon as Charlie was gone, Niffty popped out next to Husk from her hiding spot underneath the counter. 

“You can’t hide from her forever,” Husk said without looking at the small cyclops.

“But Husk!” Niffty protested. “You don’t know what Alastor would do if he found out I gave Charlie the maps in my pockets!”

Niffty patted her pockets in emphasis.

Husk looked at her for a moment, rolled his eyes, turned away to pour himself another drink, and said, “I know, and I don’t care. He can do whatever he wants with me. I’m sick of always being at that bastard’s beck and call.”

“But Husk, aren’t you scared?!” Niffty protested hopping on the counter in front of him. “Alastor’s really scary when he gets mad!”

“I lost the ability to be scared years ago,” Husk said, downing a shot immediately afterwards. “I ain’t scared of any of Alastor’s bullshit anymore.”

“But Husk…” Niffty tried to protest again.

“Niffty, is that you?!” Charlie yelled from across the lobby.

Niffty hopped down to hide herself again, but it was too late. Charlie made a beeline straight for the bar.

“Eeeep,” Niffty muttered meekly as Husk picked her up by the shirt and placed her back on the counter just as Charlie made it to the bar.

“There, you are,” Charlie panted in relief. “Niffty, Vaggie told me that she gave you the maps going from Alastor's hat to downtown. I don't know what Alastor told you, but I need those maps now. Vaggie and Angel have escaped, and they need my help!”

Niffty trembled where she stood and whispered, “I…I just can’t…”

“Niffty, please!” Charlie begged taking Niffty’s hands in hers. “I can protect you from Alastor! Just give me the maps! Please!”

“But…” Niffty sputtered fearfully. “But…I just can’t…I can’t disobey Alastor.”

Husk rolled his eyes again and said, “I can.”

“But Husk!” Niffty protested.

But once again, it was too late. Husk reached into Niffty’s pockets, pulled out the maps, and handed them to Charlie.

Charlie eagerly snatched the maps, held them close to her chest, backed up towards the lobby’s entrance without turning around, and said, “Thank you! Thank you both!”

“Whatever,” Husk said with all the apathy and aloofness he could muster. “Try not to get hurt.”

Charlie nodded her head, and without another word, she dashed through the lobby doors and out into the street, leaving Husk, Niffty, and Fat Nuggets alone in the hotel.

Niffty turned to Husk and cried, “Husk?! Do you realize what you’ve just done?! Alastor’s gonna…”

“No, he won’t, Niffy,” Husk replied, turning away to clean out his shot glass. “I was the one who gave the princess the maps, not you. Alastor won’t do a damn thing.”

“But Husk!” Niffty hopped in front of Husk’s face and protested again. 

“But nothing, Niffty,” Husk replied without looking at her. “If Alastor decides to get bent out of shape over this, he can go after me.” 

Niffty looked towards the lobby and worried about the demoness who just departed.

“I hope Charlie is okay,” Niffty said sadly.

Husk looked in the direction of the doors and also began to feel something undesirable, so he went back to cleaning his shot glass and muttered, “She’ll be fine.”


	40. The Chapter in Which Alastor Finally Notices What's Happening

Meanwhile, back at the manor, Alastor had finished his meal and was now walking around the tables, taking the time to socialize with his guests. 

The evening was going well. The auction was about to begin. Everyone was in high spirits. 

Except for Vaggie’s disobedience and Angel’s fit of rage, everything was going about as smoothly as it could go. And more importantly, Alastor managed to keep himself together when his emotions threatened to get the better of him. He couldn’t have asked for a better evening.

Alastor made his way back to where Henroin and Arackniss were sitting when he saw them desperately looking around on the floor.

“What ever is the matter?” Alastor asked bemusedly. 

Arackniss nervously looked at Alastor and said, “The keys are gone.”

Alastor blinked for a moment in shock and replied, “What?”

“The keys are gone,” Henroin answered more loudly.

“I heard you the first time,” Alastor said, coolly holding onto his composure. 

“We’ve looked everywhere we could think of,” Henroin replied checking under the tablecloth for the umpteenth time.

Alastor cupped his chin and pondered, “When did the keys go missing? Do you remember when the last time you saw it was? They can’t have gone far.”

“The last time I saw them was about the time you dragged your broad away…” Arackniss remembered scratching his head.

“OH, MY GOD!” Vox practically screamed from the other side of the table while staring at his phone.

“What happened?” Velvet asked annoyedly swallowing her food.

Vox showed Velvet the message he was reading, and her jaw practically hit the floor. 

“How the fuck could that happen?” Velvet asked in a shocked whisper. “Vox, we should…”

“You should what?” Alastor asked suspiciously. 

“That is none of your business, Alastor,” Vox snarled, getting up from his chair. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

“I don’t,” Alastor replied teleporting in front of Vox and suspiciously looking at the empty chair. “Now, tell me, where is Valentino? He has been absent for a while. His food is cold and untouched. If Valentino meant to leave formally, he would have announced it somehow. Even if he didn’t, Valentino surely wouldn’t depart without telling his lover where he had gone…”

“What are you getting at, Radio Demon?” Vox asked getting as close to Alastor’s face as he could without touching. 

“Where is Valentino?” Alastor asked angrily without changing his smile. 

Vox smirked and replied, “If you’re expecting me to turn on my boyfriend, that isn’t happening. If you think you know what’s going on, you should be able to answer that question for yourself. Now, I suggest you back off me before I’m forced to make a scene in your home.”

Alastor reluctantly backed down and kept his composure as he realized that the entire ballroom was watching.

“Very well,” Alastor said backing away and summoning familiars with every step. “But you are not to leave this ballroom until I get to the bottom of this. Rosie?”

“Of course, Alastor,” Rosie said as her penguin familiars were summoned around the ballroom’s perimeter much to Vox and Velvet’s chagrin.

“You can’t do this!” Velvet protested. 

“I can and I will,” Alastor replied. “So, I advise you to sit down and enjoy your meals until the Spider Family and I figure out this mystery. Is that understood?”

Vox and Velvet reluctantly sat back down in their chairs.

Alastor smiled, turned on his heels, and strode quickly in between Arackniss and Henroin towards the backstage storage room.

“Gentlemen?” Alastor asked, signaling for Arackniss and Henroin to follow him.

Without wasting a moment, Henroin and Arackniss turned around and followed from behind while Alastor almost dashed ahead.

They all arrived backstage to find the cage empty and two of Angel’s restraints and the keys lying on the floor.

Alastor froze, absolutely gobsmacked. The Spider Family, however, didn’t waste any time. 

Arackniss and Henroin dashed past him to investigate the cage more closely.

“That bastard did it,” Henroin said, angrily gritting his teeth as he crouched down and picked up the keys to the cage. “He got Anthony and we never even…”

“Molly,” Arackniss muttered fearfully.

“What was that?” Henroin asked.

“Valentino took Molly,” Arackniss replied, looking around until he found the back exit and making a beeline straight for it.

Arackniss reached the door, pushed it open, and ran right into the cobblestone parking lot.

“Arackniss!” Henroin called after for him, dropping the keys and running after his son.

Meanwhile, Alastor awoke from his shock and swiftly followed him.

Arackniss had found the tire tracks from where Valentino’s limo had left the parking lot in a hurry.

“Molly?!” Arackniss yelled, moving his eight eyes in every direction hoping to see any sign of his sister. “Molly?!”

“Arackniss?!” Henroin barked. “What the fuck are you going on about?!”

“Dad, Valentino took Molly!” Arackniss shouted back.

“What?!” 

“The last time I saw her was when I left her in the backstage area with Anthony! Valentino must have taken Molly when he took Angel! How could I be so fucking stupid? I never saw her come back. I should have known something was wrong…”

“Whining about it ain’t gonna do anything!” Henroin snapped. “Molly can turn invisible! She can get away from Valentino with no problem! Anthony can’t! So, stop your bitching and help me come up with a solution!”

“What the fuck are we supposed to do, Dad?!” Arackniss snapped back. “No one in our family has the clout to make a deal with an overlord, and Valentino ain’t gonna let Anthony out of his sight for at least a decade! You know that! There ain’t no fuckin’ way we’re getting him back!”

“Goddammit!” Henroin screamed into the night, kicking over a garbage can by the backdoor to let out his frustration. “There goes our whole fuckin’…Alastor?”

Henroin looked back to the door to notice Alastor was not in the doorway where he last saw him. That caught Arackniss by surprise too. 

The father and son looked around the lot until they spotted Alastor standing by the tire tracks leading to the road. 

“Alastor?” Arackniss asked.

When Alastor did not respond, Henroin said, “Alastor, talk to us. What are you thinking?”

“It seems a pimp wishes to die tonight,” Alastor replied, flashing an unseen sinister smile.

“Ya mean, you wanna go after them?” Henroin asked. 

Alastor turned away, summoned his staff, and replied, “But, of course. We made a deal. Didn’t we?”

Arackniss smirked, summoned his pistols, and said, “I’ll get the limo.”

“That won’t be necessary. Your limo wouldn’t be anywhere near fast enough to suit our purposes. We’ll be taking one of my cars,” Alastor said, before waving his staff and summoning a black 1930’s styled, six-seater convertible. 

“Hot damn,” Henroin said, with an impressed smile flashing across his face. “I haven’t seen any car like this for a long time. Was it custom made?”

“But, of course,” Alastor said, opening the doors telekinetically and gesturing for Henroin and Arackniss to get in. “This car will have everything we need to suit our purposes, and you may drive it, my dear Henroin. Now, make yourselves comfortable while I prepare my broadcast…”

Alastor took the moment to set up his staff while Henroin and Arackniss climbed into the car.

As the staff glowed to indicate it was working, Alastor smiled and said, “I am going to enjoy this. It’s been a long time since I’ve taken down an overlord.”


	41. Chapter 41

Meanwhile, back on the road, the limo continued speeding away, closer and closer to Pentagram City and further and further away from Alastor’s manor.

Vaggie finished her call with Charlie, handed the phone back to Molly, and said, “Okay, Charlie’s on the way to give us some backup. Thanks for letting me use your phone.”

“No problem, hon,” Molly said, stroking Angel’s head as he continued mumbling from his spot on her lap. “Cherri, do ya know where you’re going?”

“Yep,” Cherri said. “This road is long as fuck, but we should get back to Pentagram City within the next half hour.”

“Great,” Vaggie said with a relieved sigh. “The quicker we’re off this road the better. Molly, is Angel still awake?”

“Yeah, Angie, are you okay?!” Cherri yelled to the backseat. “How are ya doing? Are ya still with us?”

“Pretty planets and stars!” Angel responded gleefully.

“What?” Vaggie and Cherri asked simultaneously.

To the surprise of everyone, Angel sat himself up on his knees on the chair next to Molly, folded his first pair of arms on top of the rolled down window, laid his head down on top of them, flashed a warm smile, and said, “Did I ever tell you that story, Vaggie? When I was a kid, our Mom took us to a state park. We stayed in a cabin. We went outside at night with a telescope and we saw so many amazing planets and beautiful stars.”

Molly smiled sadly and shed a small tear.

“I remember that,” Molly said, wistfully looking up at the sky outside the window. “We must have been about six.”

“Yeah,” Angel continued gesturing towards the sky with his head. “Do you remember this? Ma pointed up to the sky and said that Heaven was up there past all the pretty planets and stars and that if we were good children who followed God we would be up there to see all the pretty planets and stars.”

“Of course, I remember, Angel,” Molly said sadly. “We remember everything. That’s one of our curses.”

“I let my fear, my anger, and our shitbag of a father get to me,” Angel said, his voice breaking and his eyes shedding angry tears with more slurred speech coming from his lips than before. “I wasn’t a good boy! I never repented! I never got to enter Heaven to be with Mom!”

Molly wrapped her four arms around Angel and said, “Neither did I, twin brother. You’re not alone. I’m a failure, too…”

“Where did I go?!” Angel sobbed into his arms. “Not with Mom. I fell down here, and I deserved it for being such a rotten killer! I’ve spent 73 years in this nightmare drowning my sorrows with sex and drugs all while being Valentino’s prized possession! I stuck with Valentino to survive, but I believed him when he said he loved me! That’s how stupid I am! I stayed with him through all the abuse and all the bullshit cuz I was addicted to him and his money and because he scared me! But you know what scares me more?!...Being exterminated! I don’t want to go to the void and wait for Judgement Day! I don’t wanna die for good…”

“It’s gonna be okay, Angie,” Cherri said, unable to comfort her friend any further because she had to focus on the road.

“Yeah,” Vaggie said, placing her hand on Angel’s neck. “No one here is going to the void.”

“Vaggie? Baby doll?” Angel said, lifting his head to look at her. 

“Yes?” Vaggie asked before Angel held her hands.

“When you and Charlie first met me, I doubted the hotel at f-first, but now, I’ve realized Charlie could be right about all this,” Angel replied. “It’s just up to the shitbags like me who want to repent, and now, I’m ready to repent, ask for God’s forgiveness, and prove that I’m ready to enter heaven. I w-want to leave H-hell forever and be free!”

“That’s great, Angel,” Vaggie said with a smile on her face. “I’m sure Charlie will be happy to hear that when she gets here.”

Angel suddenly turned to Molly, took her hands in his, and said, “Molly, I w-want you to c-come with me. We can both see Mom!”

Molly froze in place, not knowing what to say.

“Cherri!” Angel said suddenly letting go of Vaggie’s and Molly’s hands to reach over and lay one of his hands on Cherri’s shoulder. “I want to take you to Heaven with me so we can all see those pretty planets and stars…Wait…”

Angel’s gaze fell on the rearview mirror. He then quickly though clumsily crawled his way over to the back of the limo. 

“Angel?” Vaggie asked.

“Angie, what’s the matter?” Cherri asked.

“Yeah, Angel, what are ya doing?” Molly asked.

Angel sat on the very back seat and looked out the back window for a moment before he finally replied, “Guys, s-s-someone is f-f-f-following us-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s."

“What?!” all the ladies yelled at once as Vaggie squeezed herself through the window, tumbled into the backyard, and scrambled over to the back window that Angel was looking through.

Molly crawled over next to them and did the same.

Cherri simply looked at the rearview mirror.

“Oh, fuck!” she exclaimed.

Sure enough, Henroin, Arackniss, and Alastor were following behind them in the 1930’s convertible. Henroin was driving, Arackniss was in the back preparing his weapons, and Alastor was sitting in shotgun patiently waiting with his signature smile on his face.


	42. Chapter 42

Vaggie fell back onto the limo's floor and began to panic, "Oh, shit! How did this happen?! Oh, my God…"

"Oh, fuck," Molly said while Vaggie continued to panic. "This is really bad! How the hell did they even notice we were missing?!"

Cherri looked at the rearview mirror and yelled, "They're gaining on us! Molly, get your weapons! We have no choice but to hold them off until the princess gets here!"

"Goddammit!" Molly said, summoning another bazooka from her third pair of arms. "Cherri, get us some distance!"

Cherri slammed on the gas creating a distance between them and Alastor's group.

Molly opened the sunroof and got into position with her bazooka.

Vaggie snapped out of her panicked state and yelled, "Wait! Give me your phone! I need to tell Charlie what's happening."

Molly wordlessly tossed her phone to Vaggie and fired her bazooka to the car speeding closer to them.

But before she could dial a number, Vaggie found herself getting pulled on top of the fluff of Angel's chest that was released when he unbuttoned his white-collared shirt.

"Angel?!" Vaggie yelled as she tried to sit up only for him to pull her down on top of his chest again.

"Vaggie," Angel murmured, picking his straitjacket up from the floor and covering Vaggie's head and torso with it. "You need to h-h-h-h-hide. Alastor will be m-m-m-m-madder if he sees you in-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n the c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-car. You need to hide in my fluffy tits!"

"But Angel…" Vaggie tried to protest, sitting up on her elbows only for Angel to push her back down onto his chest and hug her there.

"He's right, Vaggie!" Molly yelled before firing another bazooka at the car. "Stay down and tell your girlfriend to get her ass over here! We can't risk Alastor knowing you're..."

"Vaggie? Are you there?" a familiar voice crackled over the radio. "I could have sworn I…"

"Drive!" Molly shrieked to Cherri, firing her bazooka a third time before tossing the empty weapon towards the convertible to make room for the new one she was summoning.

Everyone else froze in the limo, except for Cherri who slammed on the gas harder.

The convertible blazed through the smoke cleared revealing that the car and its passengers were unharmed and that a transparent shield formed from Alastor's magic was protecting them.

Arackniss finished coughing from the smoke and looked through the dark to notice his younger sister climbing back into the limo.

"I knew it!" Arackniss yelled. "It's Molly! She fired the bazooka at us!"

"What?" Henroin asked from behind the wheel. "I thought she was kidnapped! What the fuck is she doing?!"

"Helping her brother and my bride escape it seems," Alastor said, struggling to maintain his smile as the gravity of the situation fell on him. "I heard them both in the limo, and it seems that Cherri Bomb is with them as well."

"Then where the hell is Valentino?" Henroin asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Alastor asked regaining his composure and sounding way too amused. "Angel and these ladies managed to steal the limo from Valentino and somehow maim him in the process. You remember how Vox and Velvet reacted to his message. Don't you?"

Alastor sighed deeply before gushing, "As angry as I am, I can't help but be impressed. My darling Vaggie is so, so clever. I'm almost disappointed I have to stop her scheme…"

"Alastor!" Arackniss interrupted from the backseat.

"Yes?" Alastor replied turning around without losing his smile.

Arackniss visibly hesitated before he found the gall to respond,"I know we want to stop them, but you can't hurt my sister!"

"Arackniss!" Henroin reprimanded.

Arackniss ignored his father, moved closer to Alastor's face, gripped the backseat, and continued, "You promised that no demon in our family would get screwed over in this deal besides Anthony! So, don't get any ideas!"

Alastor pushed away the impulse to roll his eyes at the spider demon's weakness.

Alastor sighed and leaned into Arackniss's face condescendingly, "My dear Arackniss, I have not forgotten the terms of our deal. Why would I violate them now?"

Arackniss sat back down and replied, "Well, with these new developments, I was just worried that…"

Alastor turned around, waved his hand dismissively, and replied, "You have nothing to worry about from me, my good man. Stopping the limo ahead of us without hurting anyone is nothing hard for me."

"If you say so…" Arackniss muttered hesitantly.

"He does say so, so quit your bitching and…OH, SHIT! INCOMING!" Henroin interrupted before another bazooka missile flew in their direction and…froze in mid-air.

One of Alastor's hands was glowing and glowed brighter as he telekinetically blew up the missile with his mind.

"You have my word that I won't lay a finger on your sister or my wife, Arackniss," Alastor said standing up on his seat with a diabolical smile. "Now, if there are no more objections…"

Alastor snapped his fingers opening a pit of tentacles in front of the limo.

Back in the limo, the ladies were screaming in a panic.

"CHERRI!" Molly and Vaggie both screamed at once.

Cherri tried to swerve away from the pit of tentacles, but it was too late. The tentacles grabbed hold of the car and held it in the air.

"Shit," Vaggie cried at almost a whisper looking out the window.

In her desperation, Molly opened the sunroof and began to open fire. Cherri opened the window and began throwing her bombs.

All Vaggie could do was sit on the floor and try to call Charlie while Angel babbled incoherently on the seats.

"Come on, Charlie," Vaggie muttered to herself as the phone continued ringing. "Please pick up. Please…"

Everyone was about to give up hope when suddenly fireworks erupted in front of Henroin's car and fire consumed the tentacles forcing Alastor to let the car go on the other side of the hole.

Cherri didn't waste any time. She immediately slammed on the gas and continued speeding away.

Vaggie ran over to the sunroof where Molly was standing with a wide grin just in time to see Charlie with her angel wings flying down and landing on the roof of the limo.


	43. Chapter 43

Tears of happiness poked at the edges of Vaggie’s eyes as she squealed her girlfriend’s name, “Charlie!”

“Hey, Vaggie!” Charlie said cheerfully. “I’m sorry I’m late! But I’m here now! I’ll take care of this, so don’t you worry!”

Happy tears fell from Vaggie’s eyes as she silently nodded while handing Molly back her phone.

In the car behind them, Alastor narrowed his eyes and growled while opening another hole of tentacles on the side of the road that Charlie also burned up before they could reach the limo.

In a second, Charlie transformed into her demon form complete with horns and said to Vaggie in a distorted voice, “Get down, Vaggie. This is going to get ugly.”

“Okay, Charlie, but be careful,” Vaggie warned.

“Don’t worry about me,” Charlie replied. “Worry about protecting yourself and everyone in the car. I’ll be fine, Vaggie. I’ll handle this and get us home.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, princess…” a sinister voice crackled through the radio.

“ALASTOR!” Charlie shrieked. “LEAVE MY GIRLFRIEND AND MY FRIENDS ALONE!”

A laugh track following Alastor’s terrifying laugh played over the radio before Alastor responded, “Princess, do you really think I’ll give up on pursuing my fiancée just like that? I have claimed Vaggie for myself. It doesn’t matter to me that you and she were together before I came into the picture. Vaggie is mine.”

Vaggie shuddered fearfully, prompting Molly to sit her down and give her a supportive hug.

“You’re wrong!” Charlie snapped back. “Vaggie is mine! She will never ever be yours! I don’t care how powerful you are! If you think I’ll even let you touch her again, you have another thing coming!”

“Hahaha! Talk is cheap, little Charlie,” Alastor said maliciously summoning his voodoo familiars from the ground surrounding his car as a static cloud grew around him and the Spider Family who were shuddering in their seats. “And, as my Mother would say, actions speak louder than words!”

The static cloud and the swarm of voodoo familiars flew through the ground and the air towards the limo in front of them.

“Oh, shit,” Vaggie muttered as her eyes grew as wide as saucers. “Cherri, step on it!”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Cherri quipped seeing the disaster following behind them through the rearview mirror.

Cherri promptly slammed on the gas to gain some distance.

In the meantime, Charlie opened rifts of fire behind the limo, quickly separating her group from Alastor’s.

“Oh, shit!” Henroin screamed, swerving the car to the side and pressing on the brakes.

Henroin pressed on the brakes causing the car to swerve and stop on its shotgun side, just barely avoiding falling into the pit.

Henroin put the car in park and hyperventilated at the wheel.

“Dammit,” Arackniss said looking into the fiery pit. “What do we do now?”

“Leave it to me,” Alastor said.

Then with a snap of his fingers, Alastor used his magic to create a road over the fiery pits.

Meanwhile, back in the limo, everything was going smoothly. The roads were unobstructed, and everyone was finally starting to breathe.

Charlie continued creating fiery pits behind the limo as it sped away. Vaggie and Molly sat down inside the limo under the sunroof while Cherri continued speeding down the road. Angel laid down on the backseat with his eyes closed.

Molly rubbed Angel’s head, held his hand, and said, “Hey, Angel. Charlie’s here and she’s helping us get away. When you wake up, we’ll be back at the hotel.”

“Go, Charlie, go,” Angel muttered without opening his eyes. 

“Angie?” Cherri asked in concern. “Angie, how are you still awake?”

Angel’s eyes fluttered open and he exclaimed, “Vaggie, you need to come back to my fluffy tits! You still need to hide!”

“Angel, get a hold of yourself,” Vaggie replied annoyedly while laying his hand on his shoulder. 

“I’m trying, babe, but I can’t stay awake,” Angel said, grabbing onto Vaggie’s hand. “I can’t keep you safe anymore.”

Vaggie squeezed Angel’s hand, smiled, and replied, “Angel, you’ve done enough to keep me safe. Don’t worry. We can take care of things from here.”

The serum finally took hold of Angel, and he was quickly losing consciousness.

“Okay, Vaggie,” Angel said slowly. “Whatever happens. Promise me you’ll kick ass.”

Vaggie smiled warmly and said, “I promise, Angel.”

“And one more thing…” Angel said as he shut his eyes and drifted away. “Thank you for not leaving me.”

“Ditto,” Molly added.

“Sleep tight, buddy,” Cherri called out from the front seat. “We’ll get you home.”

Angel then completely lost consciousness and drifted off to sleep.

“You’re welcome, Angel,” Vaggie said with a warm smile as she covered him with the straitjacket.

“Oh, my God…” Cherri muttered fearfully, prompting Molly and Vaggie to immediately look through the window.

To their horror, an innumerable swarm of voodoo doll familiars were jumping and climbing and practically flying through the pits despite the flames.

“Charlie!” Vaggie yelled through the sunroof. 

“I see them, Vaggie,” Charlie replied.

Charlie summoned more fire that consumed the voodoo familiars at first. But as suddenly as it started, the fire extinguished and the pit returned to road. 

“What?” Charlie almost whispered as she every fire pit she summoned kept getting extinguished.

“Charlie?!” Vaggie asked poking her head through the sunroof. “Charlie, what’s going on?!”

“I have no idea!” Charlie yelled in a panic as she desperately created another pit of fire only to have it extinguished immediately as the swarm of voodoo familiars passed harmlessly over.

The familiars were gaining on them, and no one could figure out what was happening until Charlie heard a familiar voice yell her name.

“CHARLOTTE!” 

Everyone in the car looked up to see Lucifer, the King of Hell, flying over the vehicle with his large black fallen angel wings.

“DAD?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” Charlie yelled fearfully pausing only for a moment before snarling and angrily throwing fireworks in his direction. “Stay the fuck out of our way!”

Lucifer masterfully dodged the fireworks and unflappably replied, “Upholding my end of the bargain.”

“What bargain?!” Charlie asked. “What are you talking about?!”

“Our bargain of course,” Alastor’s voice called out from down the road.

Charlie, Molly, Vaggie, and Cherri looked behind them to see that, to their horror, Alastor was rising on a summoned pit of his tentacles while Henroin and Arackniss were driving behind him on the road summoned to traverse the pit. 

“Oh, shit,” Vaggie muttered in a terrified whisper.

Vaggie’s voice shook Charlie out of her fearful stupor. She summoned fire on both of her hands and prepared to strike at Alastor. 

Unfortunately, before Charlie could strike, Alastor opened a pit of tentacles directly under the car. The tentacles wrapped around Charlie and the limo.

Then, before the ladies in the car could fight back, Alastor telekinetically shut off the car, closed the tentacle pit, and allowed the limo to drop onto the road, knocking Vaggie unconscious in the process when her head slammed against the limo’s ceiling.

“Vaggie!” Molly yelled as she crawled over and desperately tried to shake Vaggie awake. “Vaggie! Wake up!”

“Goddammit,” Cherri said, summoning bombs in her hands. 

The car Henroin was driving finally arrived on the other side of the pits just as Alastor was telekinetically opening the car doors.

Alastor then telekinetically lifted an unconscious Angel and began pulling him out of the car.

“No…” Molly said, trying to grab him.

“Wait,” Cherri said. “If this is our last stand, we need to plan this out. Let him go for now.”

Molly reluctantly obeyed and allowed Alastor to telekinetically move Angel out of the car and over to where he was standing.

“Angel!” Charlie cried struggling desperately against the restraints her father had her in. “Don’t hurt him, please!”

“Hush!” Lucifer chided.

“What’s wrong with Angel?” Arackniss asked, hopping out of the car. “Did he get knocked out?”

Alastor briefly smelled Angel’s fur while he hovered in front of him and said, “No, it seems that he’s been drugged. Valentino’s doing no doubt.”

BAM! 

Without a warning, a bomb exploded between Alastor and the Spider Family. Shots of bazookas followed the gunfire, covering the area completely in smoke.

“Go, go, go!” Cherri yelled at Molly as she dashed through the smoke with her guns blazing and grabbed Angel. 

Unfortunately, before either of them could get much further, Alastor’s tentacles grabbed Molly and Cherri and held them still. 

Lucifer then summoned a wind that blew the smoke away.

“Thank you, your highness,” Alastor said with a bow before turning back to Henroin and Arackniss who were now standing in front of him a couple yards away. “Now, where were we? Oh, yes…”

Alastor telekinetically flew Angel to the Spider Family and said, “I do believe this mess belongs to you.”

“Thanks, Alastor,” Henroin said, lifting his arms in expectation.

“Oh, there’s no need for that,” Alastor said, flying Angel above their heads and into the backseat of the car behind them. “I’ll simply move him back into your limo once we return to the mansion.”

Alastor snapped his fingers and released the tentacles restraining Cherri and Molly.

As soon as she hit the ground, Cherri summoned some more bombs, ran towards the car, and yelled, “Let go of Angel or I’ll blow you to kingdom come!”

Alastor smiled maliciously as he snapped his fingers again and the straitjacket that was lying on the floor of the limo instantly teleported onto Cherri, restraining her arms instantly. He snapped his fingers again and the bombs teleported into the sky where they harmlessly exploded without hurting anyone while Molly watched helplessly.

Alastor then telekinetically pushed Cherri to Arackniss who held her in place.

“Do with this young firecracker what you wish,” Alastor said. “Though if I may make a suggestion, I think you should sell her to Sir Pentious. He couldn't give me anything I wanted for Angel, but his weapons and technology may be of use for you."

“Excellent idea,” Henroin said with a wicked smile. “Arackniss, get her in the car.”

“Yes, Dad,” Arackniss said, grabbing onto Cherri’s shoulders as he opened the door to the back seat. 

Cherri refused to move and struggled viciously against the restraints of her straitjacket.

“LET ME GO, YOU FUCKING BASTARDS!” Cherri screamed as she twisted and bucked against Arackniss’s grip, unable to escape his strength despite his slightly smaller stature.

Alastor snapped his fingers again and Cherri was teleported under Angel's torso. The dead weight held her down so that she couldn't move. Molly stood there helplessly trying to find a solution while Charlie struggled against the tentacles’ hold.

Arackniss opened the car door, put the seatbelt around Cherri, and said, “We can’t thank you enough for your generosity, Alastor. Are ya sure there’s nothing we can give ya in return?”

Cherri thrashed against this additional restraint and snarled, “Keep your fucking hands of me, ya piece-of-shit!”

Arackniss turned to Cherri, shut the car door, leaned against it, and said, “Listen here, girly. Ya need to watch that mouth if ya know what’s good for ya. If I were you, sugar, I wouldn’t be so nasty. Besides…”

Arackniss reached into the car and stroked a hand against Cherri’s face before he finished, “…you’re a cutie. In exchange for a good time, I might consider letting you go…”

“ARACKNISS!” Henroin and Molly both snapped at once.

“What?” Arackniss replied, turning to his Dad and not noticing Cherri sink her teeth into his hand. “Can’t I ever get anything good out of these…OWWWWWWWWWWW!”

Cherri quickly let go of Arackniss’s injured hand and spat in his face, forcing him to reel back from his perch. 

“Not in your afterlife, jackass!” Cherri snarled.

Alastor chuckled and said, “Just be sure to keep Angel and his friends under your thumb and away from my bride.”

“Can do,” Henroin replied, walking back to the car. “Now go get your bride and let’s get ya home. Come on, Molly.”

“Like Hell!” Molly snarled. 

“Excuse me?” Henroin asked, turning on his heels and stopping in his tracks.

“I wish I could say that this surprises me, but it doesn’t,” Molly chided as she strode right into her father’s face. “Every time I think you two couldn’t have gone any lower, you always manage to go even deeper. And now, you’re going to torture my twin brother!”

“It’s for Anthony’s own good,” Henroin replied with a shrug. 

“Bullshit,” Cherri shrieked from the car.

Alastor snapped his fingers and a gag covered Cherri’s mouth. 

“Let Cherri go, you sons-of-bitches!” Molly cried.

Meanwhile, Vaggie had come to in the limo. She saw the scene around the corner of the door and watched Molly as she continued to make her protest.

Vaggie looked up at Lucifer, who was watching the scene with amusement, and Charlie, whose eyes immediately locked with hers. 

With tears of desperation flowing down her cheeks, Charlie gestured with her head for Vaggie to run. Vaggie wanted to stop and protest, but she knew she didn’t have the time or the choice. 

As the argument between Molly and her father and brother continued, Vaggie managed to sneak to the front of the car unnoticed, shut the doors carefully and quietly, got the car out of park, and stepped on the gas.

It was then that Alastor finally noticed what was happening. He summoned more of his voodoo doll familiars and immediately sent them dashing after the limo. 

As everyone watched wordlessly, Charlie opened a large rift of fire to try to keep the familiars away. 

Unfortunately, as soon as the rifts were opened, Lucifer closed them again allowing the familiars to catch up to the limo and use their combined strength of numbers to lift the limo off the ground.

“Dammit!” Vaggie yelled out in frustration as the familiars popped the tires and placed the limo back on the road.

Alastor instantly teleported over to the driver’s side and opend the door. 

Vaggie glared at Alastor with all the hatred she had in her being and snarled, “I hate you.”

Alastor scoffed with an amused smirk and replied, “Give it time, dear.”

Alastor then blew a red mist onto Vaggie’s face. Vaggie tried to wave it away as she coughed and started to blink drowsily. 

Charlie quickly realized what was happening and yelled, “VAGGIE!!!” before Alastor covered her mouth with part of the tentacle.

Molly shook out of her stupor and tried to dash over to help Vaggie, but her father held her back and wouldn’t let her go.

“Alastor!” Molly cried. “What are you doing to Vaggie?!”

Vaggie fainted where she sat, and Alastor picked her up in his arms and replied, “Regaining my side of the bargain.”

Alastor teleported with his bride back to the side of the car while summoning a portal to Valentino’s building that his familiars immediately shoved the limo through before returning to their shadow forms and disappearing. He looked at Vaggie’s sleeping face with a contented smile and lovingly moved her hair out of her face before telekinetically opening the car door. 

“My bride and I are ready to return to the manor, Henroin,” Alastor said as he climbed in and took his seat. 

“You got it,” Henroin said, shutting Alastor’s door and walking back to the wheel of the car. “Molly, get in the car! You can cram in the back with Arackniss.”

“Fuck you!” Molly screeched. 

“What did you just say to me?!” Henroin snarled. 

“You heard me!” Molly retorted. “You are no longer my father! You are dead to me! I’d rather walk across all of Hell than ride in a car with you!”

Molly then turned around and started walking away as Henroin snapped, “That is not a request, ya dumb broad! Alastor, could ya help me?!”

“Say no more,” Alastor said snapping his fingers without removing his gaze from his sleeping beauty’s peaceful face.

Alastor snapped his fingers and Molly instantly teleported to the middle seat in the backseat under Angel and buckled her in with the seatbelt.

“Fuck all of you!” Molly snarled as Arackniss climbed in the car next to her.

“Alrighty, everyone,” Alastor said merrily. “It’s time for us to be going. Thanks again for your help, Lucifer.”

“You are quite welcome, Alastor,” Lucifer said. “Now, let go of my daughter and go on your way.”

Alastor snapped his fingers, allowing Charlie to fall onto the road.

Charlie angrily got to her feet and attempted to dash to the car only for her father to hold her back. 

“That’s enough, Charlotte,” Lucifer chided. 

Charlie fought against her father’s arms and yelled in desperate anger, “ALASTOR, YOU’RE FIRED!”

Alastor looked up from his position in the car, flashed a large smile, and teleported in front of Charlie.

“Dear,” Alastor began with a patronizing smirk. “As I recall, our agreement was that I would help you with the hotel as long as I returned. Was it not? I still desire to help out, so I will continue to help out as much I desire.”

“I can make a deal,” Charlie pleaded.

“Charlotte!” Lucifer yelled, summoning his wings and flying them both in the air to get away from Alastor. “I won’t let you make a deal with any overlord! Now, stop being so fucking stupid! I apologize for this, Alastor.”

Alastor chuckled merrily and said, “Don’t worry about it, your majesty. Just keep your daughter away from me and my beautiful wife until the day after the wedding unless she has a real change of heart and we’ll call it even.”

“Agreed,” Lucifer replied. “Enjoy the rest of your night. I’ll see you at the wedding.”

Alastor bowed his head a final time and said, “See you then. Have a wonderful night, you two! Let’s go, Henroin.”

Without another word, Henroin turned on the car and drove back to the manor on the now-restored road.

When the car was out of sight, Charlie summoned her wings, broke out of her father’s grip, turned to face him with her glowing red eyes and tear-soaked face, and said, “Dad, how could you?!”

Lucifer sighed and replied, “When you’re in power over a kingdom such as mine, there are sacrifices you have to make to keep order. That, and frankly, your efforts to redeem these sinners with that hotel of yours are fucking embarrassing.”

“FUCK YOU!” Charlie screeched before turning to fly over to the manor only for her to freeze in place. “Dad, what are you…?”

“If you won’t willing keep yourself safe away from Alastor,” Lucifer said flying in front of Charlie and summoning a portal to his castle as his dark energy held her in place. “I have no choice but to use force.”


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains copious amounts of abuse and derogatory attitudes towards the LGBT community. Please proceed with caution.

Angel opened his eyes and blinked slowly. All around him was darkness. He looked at the ceiling, and then at his bed, but he couldn’t clearly see anything.

As he laid there on his bed letting his eyes adjust to the darkness, Angel remembered what had happened the night before. Despite his drugged state at the time, he could remember most of what had transpired. Angel remembered the auction, Valentino, the rescue, Molly, Vaggie, Cherri, Charlie showing up to help them, and then falling asleep in that limo.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Whoosh.

Angel started for a moment before he realized what the sound was. It was the air coming on to cool down or warm up…wherever he was. 

There were several places where Angel could be. He wasn’t in his room at the hotel with Fat Nuggets there to cuddle next to him. So, Angel had to be at Cherri’s or Molly’s. 

Wherever Angel was, it was still too early to wake up. At least by his standards. Angel’s eyes finally caught sight of the light of a window seeping in and reflecting Hell’s morning light or whatever you called it on the ceiling. There was plenty of time to sleep, especially after the night he had.

Angel closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep again.

The room was dark and cool. The air conditioning vent was on at full blast, cooling the cold the room even more. Without a thought, he tried reaching his hands down to pull the blanket more tightly around his slender form, but as he attempted lifting his hands, he felt resistance.

“What the…?” Angel asked himself quietly as he tried pulling his hands back again just as unsuccessfully as the first time. 

Angel felt his two pairs of hands around his restraints and felt leather cuffs around his wrists.

“What the fuck is…?” Angel asked himself anxiously just as another important memory struck him like a bat to the head.

The note Vaggie risked her neck to sneak him through the vent, the note that he found when Rosie shoved him into the bathroom to use the toilet before she scrubbed him clean for the auction, the note he then flushed down the toilet after reading, it described something like this... 

It was only then that Angel’s eyes had adjusted enough to notice that the walls of the room were covered with padding.

Angel felt a shiver run down his spine that froze his blood more than the room’s excessive air conditioning. At that moment, he realized not only where he was but what had happened to everyone else.

“Oh, God…” Angel squeaked out, feeling the fear rush over him like a massive wave.

Angel was about to summon his third pair of arms to make a break for it when he heard a door open and what sounded like a small group of demons ambling down a stone staircase.

Once they reached the bottom, the group made their way to the door and opened it.

Angel managed to sit himself up on his elbows just as the lights were flicked on. The bright fluorescent lights stung his eyes and caused him to fall back on his back.

“Wakey, wakey, little brother,” Arackniss’s voice rang through the small room.

Two other figures entered the room and stood over his bed as Angel’s vision struggled to adjust to the light. 

“Good morning, Anthony,” a large gray figure said. “I am Dr. Red, and I will be in charge of your gay conversion therapy program.”

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!” Angel shrieked. “What happened?! Where are the ladies?!”

“Ladies?” the gray figure asked with a hint of excitement.

“My friends!” Angel retorted. “Vaggie, Cherri, Charlie, and Molly! What did you do to them?!”

Henroin took out the cigar he was puffing on, blew smoke into the air, and scoffed, “Those drugs must have knocked you out sooner than we thought. The long and short of it is that our group caught up to yours, son. Your princess friend tried to stop Alastor, but Daddy Dearest showed up and stopped her and now everyone is where they need to be. Vaggie is back with Alastor, Lucifer took the princess home with him, we dropped Molly off at her place, and now, you’re home with us.”

“What about Cherri?” Angel asked. “Where is she? What the fuck did you bastards do to her?!”

“She’s fine,” Arackniss answered, finally entering the room himself. “You don’t need to worry, Anthony…”

“You didn’t answer where,” Angel snarled.

Arackniss scoffed and said, “That is none of your concern, little brother.”

As his eyes finally adjusted to the light, Angel glared at Arackniss and replied, “Then what is my concern, asshat?!” 

Henroin chuckled maliciously and replied, “You’re about to find out.”

Angel moved his head to quip at his father, but his eyes instantly fell on Dr. Red. 

Dr. Red was a gargoyle demon with stony flesh, a pointed chin, wings furled up against his back, horns on the top of his head, ruby red eyes, and a slender frame that made him at least a head taller than Henroin. His hair and every other feature were the same shade of stony gray flesh. The only color on him came from his ruby eyes, his black pupils, and the clothes he wore. He was dressed in a white lab coat, a black sweater, brown trousers, black shoes, and glasses over his eyes.

Angel smirked and whistled seductively as Dr. Red came walking closer to his bed and said, “Hello, handsome. How’s about you clear out the room so the two of us can have some fun? I can’t say no.”

Dr. Red grimaced, pulled the blanket off Angel’s body, and replied in a cold and logical voice, “So, you’re the infamous Angel Dust. You have quite the reputation.”

Angel licked his lips seductively and said, “So, you have heard of me. Come closer, baby. I’m always available for my fans.”

SMACK!

Dr. Red responded to Angel’s advance with a slap to the face.

“Don’t even think about it,” Dr. Red said sternly.

Angel squealed seductively in response and gushed, “Oh, Daddy, you have such strong hands! They’re literally made of stone. Does that hardness extend everywhere, Doctor?”

Dr. Red grimaced, turned back to Henroin, pulled out a notepad, and said, “This is a rather severe case. How long has your son been like this?”

“Basically, since he became a man,” Henroin replied. “We started really noticing after his mother died.”

“Interesting,” Dr. Red said, writing on his notepad.

“You know I’m right here, right?” Angel asked sarcastically. “I’ve been this way since I was old enough to fall in love…”

“Hey!” Arackniss interrupted from his spot on the wall. “You won’t interrupt the good doctor if you know what’s good for ya!”

“You ain’t even in this conversation,” Angel retorted, sitting up on his elbows again. “Fuck off!”

“BOYS!” Henroin snapped. 

“No, no, Don Henroin,” Dr. Red reassured him without looking up from the notepad he was writing on. “This is great for my notes and treatment plan. It seems to me that our patient may be traumatized from the loss of his mother…”

Angel couldn’t hold his composure anymore.

“Mom had nothing to do with this!” Angel snapped angrily. “You fucking leave her out of this!” 

“Angry outburst,” Dr. Red said out loud while continuing to write in his notepad. “Definite emotional trauma present.”

Angel growled angrily.

“We’re going to need to move on to more invasive procedures,” Dr. Red said to Henroin and Arackniss, finally putting away his notepad in the pocket of his lab coat. “His mind is in too heavy a state of anger, apprehension, and agitation to be pliable at this time.”

“So, what do we do?” Henroin asked.

“I need you two to help me move him to the chair,” Dr. Red replied.

“You got it,” Henroin said with a malicious smile. “Arackniss?”

“Coming,” Arackniss said, finally moving off his spot on the wall.

Henroin and Arackniss moved to either side of the bed and undid the straps holding down Angel’s arms and feet. 

Angel laid down as his father and brother loosened the straps holding him down. He then allowed them to help him sit up on his bed while Dr. Red watched them by the side of the door. 

That was when Angel made his next move. 

“That’s right,” Dr. Red said. “Easy does it...ANTHONY!”

Angel summoned guns with all three pairs of hands and pointed each pair at a different person. 

Angel then hopped on the floor and began moving his bare feet gingerly across the padded floor towards the door while his head moved back and forth to keep his eyes on all of them. He even opened his other six eyes to help him out.

Dr. Red and the Spider family did not act surprised and barely even flinched when they saw the guns. They simply stood there coolly as if they were waiting for Angel say his peace in a conversation. 

For Angel, it was off-putting to say the least. The trio of demons weren’t scared at all. They simply watched him and waited as he backed his way up to the door as if this were a planned scene in one of his pornos.

“The doctor is just trying to help you, Anthony,” Arackniss said calmly. 

“Yeah, don’t make this any harder than it needs to be, son,” Henroin said just as coolly. 

Angel leered furiously at his father and older brother and snarled, “Listen here, you motherfucking…HEY!”

When Angel turned his head, Dr. Red snuck up behind him, grew a few feet taller and more muscular evidently, threw a pillow case over Angel’s head, wrapped both pairs of arms around Angel’s, and picked him up off the ground all in the span of a few seconds.

“Grab his guns now!” Dr. Red yelled.

Angel cursed loudly as he thrashed around and fired his guns. The pillowcase over his head was dark. He couldn’t see what he was aiming at, but he could hear his Dad and brother fall on the padded floor and the telltale sound of cushions exploding.

Unfortunately for him, Angel couldn’t get too many shots out before he felt his guns getting shot out of his hands in six quickfire shots.

“Good work, Arackniss…” Dr. Red said.

Of course. Screw his brother’s perfect aim.

“…Now, help me get Angel to his jacket just like we practiced,” Dr. Red finished calmly.

“PRACTICED?!” Angel screamed, thrashing wildly as he felt Dr. Red dragging him into the next room while Henroin and Arackniss ran past them. “WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!”

“Just something to calm you down for the procedure, son,” Henroin replied with a smile in his voice. 

“What the fuck are ya…HEY!” Angel yelled as he tried fruitlessly to shake his arms out of the doctor’s grip. 

At that moment, Angel felt something familiar being slipped over his three arms. It didn’t take him long to realize what it was. 

“What are ya doin’?!” Angel yelled as he continued thrashing desperately.

Everyone continued as if they hadn’t heard him. The straitjacket was slipped over his arms quickly and effectively. 

Once the straitjacket was on, Angel waited until the doctor let go of his arms to tie back the sleeves. 

When Dr. Red did, Angel tried reaching his arms back to his torso to summon more guns, but the long sleeves were instantly pulled back and tied behind him, effectively restraining him. He tried desperately to move his arms, but it was no use.

“Good work, everyone,” Dr. Red said as he pulled off the dark pillowcase. “The patient has been restrained perfectly and we are now prepared for the next step.”

Angel’s sweaty face had hardly a moment to cool down before Dr. Red picked him up by the torso and his father and brother lifted his legs.

“What the fuck are ya bastards doin’ now?!” Angel yelled, still trying to thrash as much as his restraints would allow him while kicking his long legs at his family. “PUT ME DOWN!”

Arackiss stared at him quietly while Henroin scoffed and said, “Right away, son.”

Angel was suddenly placed on a chair, and no sooner was he sat down than were his legs and torso strapped in. It was then that Angel realized where exactly he was and what was about to happen. A look to the right confirmed his suspicions as his eyes fell on the car battery on the cart with the bit and the mess of wires attached. 

Angel felt his eyes grow as wide as saucers and a shiver run down his spine as he began to tremble uncontrollably.

Everyone but Arackniss smiled sadistically as Dr. Red reverted to his original form and adjusted the chair so that Angel was lying on his back. 

“That shut him up,” Henroin quipped. 

No sooner had those words left Henroin’s mouth than did Angel resume his pointless struggle to escape from his restraints.

“You just had to say something. Didn’t you?” Arackniss asked with a sigh.

Dr. Red shook his head and prepared his machine. 

Angel gave up his struggle against his restraints and laid there helplessly. He panted loudly as the doctor moved the cart over to the head of his chair.

Angel trembled like a leaf. He couldn’t hear a sound beyond his own breathing and heart beating.

Dr. Red skillfully attached the headgear on Angel’s head. Angel shook his head desperately, but the headgear held firm and the doctor managed to get a bit between Angel’s teeth. 

Angel stopped shaking his head and glanced around the room in a desperate panic only to see the cold stares of his family and doctor.

“Now, Anthony,” Dr. Red said. “Are you going to calm down and endure therapy willingly or are you going to make us turn on this machine to calm you down?”

Angel shook out of his frightened stupor. As his eyes met his doctor’s condescending stare, Angel found his nerve and glared back.

“Well, Anthony?” Dr. Red asked impatiently.

With the bit still between his teeth, Angel replied, “FUCK YOU!”

“Wrong answer, son,” Henroin retorted. “Pull the switch, doctor.”

Without another word, Dr. Red annoyedly walked over to the machine and threw the switch. 

A surge of electricity immediately entered Angel’s body and set every nerve on fire in searing pain. He screamed through his bit and bit down until his teeth were practically touching while the rest of his body convulsed uncontrollably.

Henroin and Dr. Red looked on with cold smirks. Arackniss looked away, uncomfortably listening to Angel’s screams.

“So, Anthony, do you feel calm enough to cooperate now?” Dr. Red asked. “Anthony…?”

Angel couldn't respond as the electricity continued to pulsate through his body, causing him to convulse and writhe in every direction.

“Anthony can’t respond like that, doctor,” Arackniss spoke up. “You gotta turn off the machine.”

“Yeah, shut it off,” Henroin demanded. 

“Alright,” Dr. Red replied. “This should be more than enough time to calm his emotions.”

Dr. Red shut off the electricity. Angel immediately fell limp in relief and in exhaustion at the surge of electricity his body was forced to go through.

Dr. Red coldly walked over to the head of Angel’s chair and asked, “How are you feeling, Anthony? Do you feel better?”

Angel was too out of breath to respond, so he just laid there in his restraints trying to catch his breath.

Red smiled sadistically, began writing in his notepad, and said, "Excellent. The sedation technique was successful. Now, we can begin the therapy…”

Angel could hardly hear Doctor Red chattering to his family. His disoriented and weakened mind was spinning in circles, traumatized, hurting, and completely helpless as it had been so many times before. It was all he could do to not shed a tear. 

“…The therapy works better if the patient has something to works towards,” Angel heard Dr. Red say. “You have any ideas of anything Anthony might want?”

Angel immediately perked back up and listened in on the conversation while keeping his face completely neutral.

“I have an idea,” Arackniss replied. “We could let him out to share a meal with us before we go to Alastor’s wedding on Friday.”

“I wouldn’t mind that, as long as we have the good doctor on standby,” Henroin added.

Arackniss walked over to the chair where Angel was staring blankly at the wall pretending to barely even be conscious and asked with mild concern in his voice, “Hey, Anthony? Did you hear what we said? If you behave for the next week, you get to leave the basement to have dinner with me and Dad. Does that sound alright to you? Nod your head since you probably can’t talk yet.” 

Angel realized then what he had to do. He nodded his head.

“Excellent!” Dr. Red exclaimed cheerfully. “We will work towards that goal then!”

Angel nodded weakly and submissively just like the little slave they wanted him to be, giving no indication of the plan forming in his head. 

For now, Angel would obey them. He would say and do whatever ridiculous thing they asked him to do. He would be the doctor’s ideal patient. He would behave. Until Friday. When they’d finally let him out of this dungeon for good behavior.

Then, somehow, some way, Angel would fight his way out and find his way back to Cherri, to Charlie, and then to Alastor’s wedding to save Vaggie. 

All he had to do was wait.


	45. Chapter 45

Angel laid in his chair, staring at the ceiling while the monsters discussed their plans to torture him into being normal. 

It made Angel sick to his stomach. His family never loved him for who he was, even after they had all died. It was their cold and abusive behavior that made him turn to burying himself in his mafia work, then to drugs, to sex, and eventually, to Valentino who made his life so much worse. The sins were his, but the self-hatred came from them. It was all their fault. It always was.

Now, their prejudice had enabled Alastor to do the same thing to Vaggie and Sir Pentious to Cherri. 

It was the cycle of continual hatred like Charlie had talked about in one of their therapy sessions. First, you decide to hate a person and then you do everything to hurt them more and more and more until eventually you destroy them and everything they care about. 

Their hatred hurt him and extended its reach to the people he loved the most just to hurt him even more. It was bullshit, and it had to end.

Angel closed his eyes in the first prayer he had said in decades and felt his resolve grow stronger.

His family wouldn’t win. They couldn’t. Angel wouldn’t let them or Alastor or Sir Pentious for that matter. Even if he got sent to Double Hell in the process, he wouldn’t. 

Angel would beat them all. All he had to do was wait.

“I’ll come upstairs to join you for breakfast once I get Anthony fed and into his bath,” Dr. Red said, calling Angel back to reality.

“Good, we’ll see you then,” Henroin replied, walking up the stairs. “See ya later, Anthony.”

“Yeah, we’ll see you on Friday, little brother!” Arackniss called over to Angel from the bottom of the stairs. “Please be a good boy for the doctor while we’re gone.”

After that final plea, Arackniss followed his father up the stairs and left the basement, leaving Dr. Red alone with Angel.

Dr. Red stood over Angel’s chair and studied his face for a moment before adjusting the chair so that Angel was sitting up again.

Angel hardly lurched forward at the sudden movement since his restraints kept him so snugly in place. He bowed his head down to stare at the floor with the most pitiful expression he could as Dr. Red pulled out his bag of medical instruments and started rummaging through it.

Once he found what he was looking for, Dr. Red turned back to Angel.

Much to Angel’s surprise, Dr. Red placed a finger under his chin, moved his face so that the two of them were looking eye-to-eye, looked at him with a warm and comforting expression, and said, “Don’t look so hurt, my patient. I know this process hurts now, but as soon as it’s over, you will be normal and so much happier. I promise.”

Dr. Red wiped away a few tears and the corner of Angel’s eyes with his thumb before he let go of Angel’s head.

Angel continued staring at the ground, feeling completely confused and taken aback and trying his best to hide it on his face.

Without any warning, Dr. Red pulled out his stethoscope, reached the cold end inside the straitjacket to the skin beneath the fur on Angel’s chest, and said, “Take a deep breath, Anthony.”

Despite the uncomfortable sensation, Angel immediately obeyed, breathing as deeply as he could muster in his straitjacket.

“Good,” Dr. Red said moving the stethoscope down to Angel’s heart while looking down at his watch. “Just as I hoped. The electroshock therapy has calmed your breathing and your heart rate.”

Dr. Red stuffed the stethoscope down into his doctor’s bag, walked over to a cart with a covered plate in the kitchen area that Angel didn’t notice before, and said, “Now, Anthony, it’s time for your breakfast.”

Dr. Red uncovered the plate to reveal a steaming breakfast tray with eggs, ham, and toast cut into small pieces with butter and jam on the side and orange juice with a straw sticking out. 

“Let’s get some food in your stomach and we’ll get you ready to take your medicine,” Dr. Red said, spraying sanitizer into his hands before cutting up Angel’s food with the fork and knife on the side. 

The gargoyle demon picked up a piece of ham with the fork and offered the food to Angel.

Dr. Red held the fork in front of Angel’s mouth and cooed, “Here comes the airplane coming into the hangar now. Easy does it…”

Angel opened his mouth and bit the ham off the fork, swallowing all his pride with the food in his mouth.

“Alrighty then,” Dr. Red said, putting down the fork to jot down some notes on his notepad. “Subject now seems to be obedient.”

Dr. Red quickly rubbed some sanitizer on his hands before he returned to feeding Angel and said, “I’m so glad to see that you’re now obeying me, Anthony.”

Angel didn’t respond, except to sit back comfortably in his chair and open his mouth so that Dr. Red could continue to feed him like a baby. 

Dr. Red picked up another fork full of food, fed Angel, and said, “You don’t know how happy you’ll be when you’re straight. I know the treatment feels harsh now, but you’ll thank me for it later. At least, I hope you will. None of my other patients ever thanked me when I was alive…”

Without changing his facial expression in the slightest, Angel chewed his food while Doctor Red prepared the next bite and continued, “…You see, I was part of the Eugenics Movement at the turn of the last century, a movement dedicated to improving the genetic quality of the human population through selective breeding and the sterilization and suppression of the inferior and unfit. One way I helped keep the fit, superior members of the white middle- and upper-class strong was by helping parents whip their wayward sons and daughters into shape whenever they were more interested in pursuing their lusts than in doing their duty of increasing the white superior stock with advantageous marriages, if you know what I mean…”

It was all Angel could do to hold his tongue. As he received the next bites of food, he chewed his food into mush without swallowing just to keep himself from saying anything.

“…I kept these rebellious children from eloping, from committing miscegenation, and of course, from engaging in sexually deviant relationships, like you. I did such a good job with them. They married advantageously and produced genetically superior children. But none of them ever thanked me. I can’t figure out why…Anthony, you need to swallow your breakfast or you’re going to choke on it.”

Angel reluctantly swallowed and bit his lip while Dr. Red picked up his knife and spread jelly and butter on the pieces of toast. If it weren’t for his restraints, Angel would have been fidgeting uncomfortably.

Completely oblivious to the discomfort Angel was feeling, Dr. Red continued, “Anyways, I don’t know why none of my patients ever thanked me. I mean, most of them didn’t want to be there. Sure. Others tried to fight me and had to be given medicine and special treatments like you. But still others seemed willing and left happy. I don’t know why they didn’t thank me. Those ingrates! Some of them even committed suicide!”

Angel couldn’t take it much longer. Thankfully, Dr. Red fed him pieces of toast before and after he continued speaking.

“I don’t understand why God sent me here either,” Dr. Red said, gently feeding Angel a piece of jelly toast. “I directed human evolution in a positive direction for him. I did so much to improve the white race and the black race when they gave us the opportunity to improve them. I helped people defy their base desires for the greater good of reproducing a superior stock! Surely, that’s a noble cause that heaven must recognize!”

Angel finished eating his toast and Dr. Red placed a straw in a glass of orange juice and offered it to him.

“What an ungrateful bastard he must be to deny that!” Dr. Red raved while Angel managed to get the straw in his mouth. “If it weren’t for the Eugenics Movement, there would be even more burdens than there are now. It’s not our fault that Adolf Hitler decided to go as far as he did…Wait, Anthony.”

Dr. Red pulled the straw away just as Angel was about to take his first sip and said, “I almost forgot. I need to give you your medicine. Hold on a moment.”

Dr. Red took out a white prescription bottle and took out a red-colored pill that looked like no pill that even Angel had ever tried before. 

He eyed it nervously while Dr. Red took it in his fingers and said, “Open wide, Anthony, and don’t worry. This pill will help you feel better. I know. I made it myself.”

That hardly reassured Angel. Despite his usual penchant for drugs, he didn’t want this one. Even if it did what the good doctor said, Angel knew there was more to it than what he said there was. It was meant to keep him under their control, just like Val kept him under his…

“Anthony, you don’t need to be nervous,” Dr. Red said, interrupting Angel’s thoughts. “Open up…Oh.”

Angel opened his mouth wide and allowed the doctor to drop the pill in his mouth.

“Good boy,” Dr. Red praised while offering Angel his orange juice again. “Now, drink this and wash down your pill so we can get you into your bath.”

Angel obediently sipped his orange juice through the straw until it was all gone.

When he finished the drink, Dr. Red put the cup back on the tray, petted Angel’s head, and praised, “What a good boy! You’re behaving very well.”

Dr. Red then picked a napkin off the cart and wiped the crumbs and juice off Angel’s face. 

Once he was done, Dr. Red took the tray to the sink. While he wasn’t looking, Angel opened his mouth, lowered his tongue with the pill wrapped around in it, dropped the pill, and let it fall onto the floor.

Angel smiled to himself. That was a trick he had learned long ago when dealing with Val. It was one of the few tricks he rarely caught on to.

“Alright, Anthony,” Dr. Red said as he finally made his way back to the chair and started unbuckling Angel’s restraints. “It’s time for your bath. For now, your baths will be lukewarm to hold down your urges until you are strong enough to resist temptation and expose yourself to hot water again.”

Angel nodded silently and sat patiently while Dr. Red unbuckled the last of the restraints.

Dr. Red then helped Angel to his feet, put a hand behind his back, and guided him gently to the bathroom. 

The bathroom was a plain one with white tile and a white toilet on one side, a sink, and a shower with a tub to match on the other side of the room. There was no color to be found except for the soap bottles on the shelf beside the tub. Even the towel hanging on the rack below the shelf between the wall and the door and the mats on the floor were white.

Dr. Red turned the faucets on and put in the stopper. The lukewarm water began filling up the tub while Angel watched patiently, resisting every urge to kick Dr. Red into the tub himself.

Dr. Red turned to Angel, requested for him to turn around, and finally undid the straps of his straitjacket. 

“There, we go,” Dr. Red said with a warm smile as he pulled the jacket off and carried it out of the room.

Angel moved his arms around in relief at finally being able to use them again. He retracted his third pair of arms and stretched his two other pairs of arms around to get the blood flowing. 

Angel turned and looked at himself in the mirror. The white shirt and black pants Alastor put on him the other day were still there looking slovenly yet classy, too classy for his taste. As soon as he got the feeling back in his arms, Angel began unbuttoning the shirt to let his fluffy chest breathe.

Unfortunately, before he could get too comfortable, Dr. Red walked in and coughed to get his attention.

“Anthony, you should wait for me to leave before you start undressing,” Dr. Red reprimanded. 

Angel looked at himself in the mirror, summoned the most defeated look he could muster, turned around to face the good doctor, and said, “I’m sorry, doctor.”

Dr. Red’s disappointed look slid back into a warm smile and he said, “All is forgiven, Anthony. Now take a look at your new clothes.”

Angel looked down and tried not to grimace at the clothing in Dr. Red’s arms. It was the gray uniform that Vaggie described. 

It was a gray long-sleeved t-shirt, long gray slacks, a white undershirt, a gray pair of underwear, and a gray pair of flats to cover his feet. By anyone’s standards, the clothes were atrociously dull.

“Do you like your new clothes?” Dr. Red asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Oh, uh, they’re just fine, Doctor,” Angel replied shyly as he held his arms open to take the clothes.

“Excellent,” Dr. Red said, dropping the clothes into Angel’s arms. “You have seven other uniforms just like this one in case this one gets dirty. I’ll wash them weekly to make sure you always have a clean outfit to wear.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Angel replied.

Dr. Red smiled and walked past him to turn off the water in the tub. 

“You may take your bath now, Anthony,” Dr. Red said, reaching outside the room and placing a white basket in between the door and the tub. “I shall go upstairs to eat breakfast with your father and brother. Then, I’ll come back here and clean up your kitchenette. Please do remember. Turning on hot water is not allowed yet, so don’t turn it on.”

“Yes, doctor,” Angel said submissively.

“As for the clothes you’re wearing now, please put them into basket you see there,” Dr. Red said, gesturing with one hand while holding the other hand behind his back.

“Yes, doctor,” Angel replied. “Is there anything else?”

In one swift movement, Angel felt the gargoyle doctor’s stone arms wrap around his chest and hold him close. Dr. Red’s lips curled into a smile as he shut his eyes and leaned against Angel.

If Dr. Red could see Angel’s expression, he would have seen his face contort in confusion at the sudden mood swing. And Angel thought Val had wild mood swings…

“I’m so happy to be working with you, Angel,” Dr. Red whispered. “I know this is hard, but I’ll get you through it. I promise.”

Angel’s mouth fell open in absolute bewilderment and his eyes stared down at the doctor holding him for an uncomfortably long time. 

They stood there like that for over a minute with Angel at a complete loss for how to react. He literally felt like he was embracing a statue and he might as well have been. The stony body was hard, cold, and confining. 

Angel looked down at Dr. Red’s face and grimaced. The doctor’s expression was a genuinely warm and comforting smile that he found more unnerving than comforting. 

Angel kept his form rigid transferring the clothes he was wearing to his lowest pair of arms to make his position more comfortable. Apparently taking that as a sign that he wanted to be comforted even more, Dr. Red moved even closer and held Angel more tightly for yet another long, uncomfortable minute. 

So, Angel stood still, not knowing whether this was a test or an honest-to-God attempt to show compassion. 

Finally, Dr. Red let go and said enthusiastically, “Enjoy your bath, Anthony. I must go meet with your father without any further delay to discuss your treatment plan.”

Without another word, Dr. Red left the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

Angel stood there completely dumbfounded until he heard Doctor Red climb up to the top of the stairs and lock the basement door behind him. 

When he was sure Doctor Red was gone, Angel stepped back until he reached the toilet and sat down. He sighed deeply for a moment before setting his new clothes down, undressing, and climbing into his lukewarm bath.


	46. Chapter 46

Little did Angel know that his father and brother were watching Angel from the laptop connected to a video camera in the living space of the basement. 

The laptop sat on the table in between the plates of breakfast food that were scattered about. 

Don Henroin sat at the head of the long table glaring at the door blocking him from seeing Angel in the bathroom while Arackniss sat to his right quietly eating his omelet and drinking his coffee. 

Arackniss knew what was coming and helplessly knew it was best to let it pass.

Dr. Red entered the room unsuspectingly humming a happy tune and holding his notepad as he sat down at his place at the table at the don’s left side and served himself a plate of food.

“How is my son, Doctor?” Henroin asked.

“Excellent,” Dr. Red replied, chipperly filling his plates with food. “Anthony has been completely obedient. His behavior was quite promising.”

“Is that so?” Henroin asked.

Dr. Red gave Henroin a confused look and replied, “Of course. He did everything I asked him to. Is there a problem?”

Henroin typed on the laptop, turned the monitor around for Dr. Red to look at, and said, “Watch closely.” 

Dr. Red watched the video footage play back to when Dr. Red gave Angel his pill and walked away to put the dishes in the sink. He watched closely as Angel opened his mouth and let his long tongue fall out of his mouth.

“What is he doing?” Dr. Red asked.

“What do you think?” 

“He spat out my pill!”

“Yes, we should have known he’d pull some shit like this,” Henroin said annoyedly. “Anthony is not someone who complies easily.”

“Not to worry, Don Henroin,” Dr. Red replied. “I’ve dealt with quietly rebellious patients before. Anthony will be no different.”

“So, what are ya gonna do about it, Doctor?” Arackniss interjected between sips of his coffee.

“I have ideas,” Dr. Red replied.

“What kind of ideas?” Henroin asked with a devious smile.

“Tell me,” Dr. Red replied. “Do you two have porn collections?”

About an hour later, Angel had finished his bath and put on his gray uniform.

Angel looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. His clothing was unbearably dull. He looked and felt completely like a prisoner. Every outfit he had for the next week would look like this. That fact was almost more painful than the therapy he had already endured.

Right on cue to add to his current misery, Angel heard the basement door open and shut and the sound of Dr. Red’s stony feet stomping their way down the stone steps.

Angel exited the bathroom to meet Dr. Red just as he reached the bottom step. He stood there at attention as politely as he could.

“Hello, Doctor,” Angel said shyly. “What do we do now?”

Dr. Red said nothing but grabbed Angel’s wrist and quickly led him to the chair he was sitting in before. 

Dr. Red moved briskly in a surprisingly quick manner for his stone composition. Angel was back in the chair before he even had time to be nervous.

“Dr. Red, what are ya doing?” Angel asked timidly, not even protesting when Dr. Red strapped him back into the chair.

Angel waited patiently until the good doctor finished his work and walked away. The silence was tense. 

Angel anxiously gripped his knees with his free pair of hands as the basement door opened and another pair of footsteps made their way down the stone steps.

“Uh, doctor, what’s going on?!” Angel asked a bit more anxiously than before.

Angel looked up to see his father with a box stomping angrily in his direction. The anger on his face made him gulp in fear.

Henroin set the box on the ground, stomped over to Angel, and said, “Anthony, why the fuck aren’t you cooperating?!”

Angel shrank back confusedly and replied, “Dad?! What are ya talking about?! I’ve done everything the doctor asked!”

“Not everything,” Dr. Red fumed with his ruby eyes burning, holding a dirty red pill Angel recognized all too well. “We saw the footage from our video camera. Did you really think we wouldn’t catch on to what you were doing?! Do you think we’re stupid?!”

“N-no, I…I just didn’t think…” Angel managed to stammer out.

“No, you didn’t!” Dr. Red interrupted as he headed back towards the kitchen to dispose of the dirty pill. “If you were, you wouldn’t be making me waste perfectly good pills!”

“I’m sorry…I…I just don’t like pills that don’t make me high!” Angel stammered out, blurting out the first lie that popped into his head and writhing in his chair on the verge of a panic attack. “I can’t swallow them!”

“Well then, it looks like we’re going to have to perform some heavy-duty electroshock therapy until you do,” Dr. Red said with a sadistic chuckle. “Don Henroin, please find a way to restrain his spare arms.”

“Gladly,” Henroin said, summoning rope out of nowhere while Doctor Red began pushing the cart back over from the other side of the room.

Angel couldn’t take it.

“WAIT!” Angel screamed in a panic. “I’ll take the pill! I’ll take it!”

Dr. Red stopped pushing the cart, stood up straight, and said, “What was that?”

“I’ll take the pill,” Angel said, hyperventilating on the verge of a panic attack before making himself take a deep breath to calm down. “I’m sorry. I spat out the pill because I thought it would hurt me. I didn’t know what it would do. I’m so used to Val giving me pills that I don’t trust them no more. I’m really sorry. I’ll be a good boy. Just don’t shock me again.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Don Henroin remarked as he made the rope disappear.

Dr. Red smiled happily and said, “A breakthrough! How wonderful! Thank you for your honesty, Anthony! I’m so proud of you. Now let me get you that pill and a glass of water. You’re showing so much promise.”

Dr. Red practically skipped over to the kitchenette in excitement to prepare the pill and glass of water for Angel.

Angel sat in his restraints trying to catch his breath while the good doctor explained, “These pills are meant to calm down your emotions, not unlike an anti-depressant. They’re of my own creation. I have used them on patients plenty of time, and they have very few side effects.”

“Okay,” Angel replied meekly.

Henroin annoyedly walked over to Angel and grabbed hold of his chin, immediately shaking Angel out of his frightened stupor.

“You ain’t gonna give the good doctor any more trouble now? Are ya?” Henroin asked in the intimidating voice he used in shakedowns and interrogations. “I’m paying him good money to take care of ya, so I don’t want to hear or see anymore trouble out of ya. I’ve invested far too fucking much into bringing you back into the fold for you to fuck this up for all of us now, ya giant shit. So, if ya don’t keep quiet and do what your told, you ain’t ever gonna leave this basement or keep all of your brain, if you catch my drift. You got that?”

Angel repressed his anger as much as he could against his entitled sperm donor. He shook angrily, but he managed to keep his face twisted in fear so that his father could only assume he was shaking of fright.

“Well?” Henroin asked.

Angel couldn’t open his mouth and keep himself under control, so he responded with a shy nod and his father let go.

“Please back away, Don Henroin,” Doctor Red replied, walking across the room with a new pill and a glass of water. “Anthony has apologized. You don’t need to intimidate him anymore. He’ll behave. Right, Anthony?”

Angel nodded shyly again as Doctor Red approached him with the glass of water and the pill.

“Now, take your medicine,” Doctor Red said.

Realizing he had no choice and barely able to hold back his tears, Angel opened his mouth and allowed the good doctor to place the pill in his mouth. Doctor Red then held the glass of water to his lips and Angel slowly drank down the glass of water until there was nothing left.

“What a good boy!” Dr. Red said, enthusiastically patting Angel’s head. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Angel replied with a shy smile. 

Doctor Red quit petting Angel’s head and began unstrapping his limbs.

“Set up the projector, would you, Henroin?” Doctor Red asked as he unstrapped the rest of Angel’s body. “It’s in the closet.”

“You got it,” Henroin replied.

Henroin walked over to the closet to get out the projector while Doctor Red got Angel back to his feet.

As he got to his feet, Angel noticed that his head was lighter. His mind felt clearer, and his heart felt somehow calmer. 

“Are you feeling alright, Anthony?” Dr. Red asked, snapping Angel out of his thoughts.

“Yeah, just a little light-headed,” Angel replied.

“Oh, the medicine must be working already,” Dr. Red said, gently pressing his stone hand on Angel’s back to guide him over to the sitting area on the other side of the basement. 

“What? Already?” Angel asked in surprise.

“Yes, this medicine is meant to calm you down,” Dr. Red replied proudly. “It wouldn’t be much help if it didn’t work quickly. Would it?”

“No, I suppose not,” Angel agreed.

“Of course, this medicine is still in the experimental stage, so I can always adjust the dosage later if you’re not feeling comfortable enough,” Dr. Red suggested.

“Okay,” Angel agreed as Dr. Red sat him down in the fainting couch facing the wall.

Angel felt the calm feeling occupying his mind rapidly materializing into a fog. The fog grew denser and denser until every anxious feeling Angel might have felt was replaced with a sedate, serene sense of forced tranquility.

“Very good,” Dr. Red said. “Henroin, is the projector ready to go?”

“Yeah, Doc,” Henroin replied, taking his spot on the couch against the wall. “We’re good to go. I’d like to stay for this if ya don’t mind. These films happen to be my favorites.”

“Of course,” Dr. Red replied while Angel suppressed his desire to physically cringe at his father’s remarks. “Let’s get this show started. Angel, for this next therapy session, you only need to watch and observe the straight porn on the wall in front of you.” 

“Okay, doctor,” Angel replied, getting comfortable on his couch.

Dr. Red pressed the button on the projector and started the film. He quickly crossed the room to shut the lights off and sat himself down in the chair between Angel and Henroin before the credits could even finish rolling.

Angel laid back against the fainting couch and settled in for some “therapeutic” porn. 

The cloud inside his head held back any anxiety and panic that he had felt before. His mind felt clearer in a way yet still analytical in another. He felt peaceful yet so disconnected from himself and what made him, well, him.

Angel realized then that this clarity was something he could use to his advantage. He could use this time to figure things out. He would use this time to plan. He would use this time to think of every possible scenario that could happen when he tried to escape so that, when the time came, he would know what to do.

“Oh, this is my favorite part,” Henroin said, interrupting Angel’s thoughts. 

“Keep it in your pants, Henroin,” Dr. Red chided. “This therapy is for Anthony, not you.” 

“I don’t wear pants,” Henroin retorted. “Besides, isn’t it good for him to be around men having normal reactions to men and women having sex?”

“He’s been around plenty of that, Don Henroin,” Dr. Red said. “Anthony knows plenty about how to mirror the reactions of others. We need to allow him to show natural reactions of his own.”

“If ya say so, doc…” Henroin relented.

Angel hardly paid any mind to their conversation. He barely took any mind of the distorted sexual mess playing on the wall in front of him either. 

Angel ignored everything and simply thought.


	47. Chapter 47

After a long day of therapy with only breaks to use the bathroom or eat and a break before lunch to work out on a cycling machine, Angel finally was allowed to go to bed.

Angel had spent the whole day pretending to watch porn. Under ordinary circumstances, it would have been considered a good day, but since Angel had spent the whole day thinking, he was relieved to finally get to rest his brain. 

Of course, Doctor Red was there to make sure Angel complied to all his rules, including what he had to wear to bed. 

Just as before, Angel complied to all the rules. Once he had brushed his teeth, dressed in his white undershirt and gray boxers, taken a sleeping pill, and used the bathroom a final time, Angel let the gargoyle demon to strap him to his bed, cover him with heavy blankets to keep him warm in the cold room, and pull up a stool next to his bed so that he could brainwash him with a final bedtime story.

Angel felt exhausted and beyond humiliated. All day and all evening, Doctor Red had been infantilizing him in every way imaginable as a “way to make up for the attention his father never gave him.” 

The spider demon had complied the best he could, but the effort it took for him to hold his tongue and keep a straight face while he planned was draining, even with the medicine inside him to keep him calm.

It was Angel could do to keep a straight face while Doctor Red read him his disturbing anti-gay propaganda.

“And the gay witch burned at the stake and all her victims lived happily ever after,” Dr. Red read, before dramatically closing his book. “The End!”

Angel let out pretend moan of pain to gain the doctor’s sympathy.

“Oh, Anthony, what’s the matter? Why so blue?” Dr. Red said, gently rubbing his stony fingers through Angel’s hair. “You won’t be burned at the stake. You’re going to be straight in no time. You’ll see.”

Angel merely replied with another fake moan.

“Just have faith, my good boy,” Dr. Red replied just as he looked down at his watch. “Oh, it’s getting late. It’s almost 8:30. It’s time for me to eat dinner with your father and time for you to go to sleep.”

The gargoyle smiled, ruffling Angel’s hair a final time before picking up his stool and carrying it out of the room. 

Angel remained still and expertly maintained his catatonic expression.

“Alright, Anthony,” Dr. Red said as he pulled the blankets more evenly over Angel’s restrained body. “Your sleeping pill should take effect in an hour. Sleep tight. I’ll be back for you in the morning…”

Kiss. 

Dr. Red kissed Angel on his forehead. It felt like he was a toddler getting tucked into bed. 

Angel was so surprised he almost lost his composure, but the gargoyle made his way back to the door and turned out the light without missing a beat. 

“Goodnight, Anthony,” Dr. Red said softly with his ruby eyes sparkling to reflect the light outside the room. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, doctor,” Angel replied as emotionlessly as he could muster.

The good doctor shut the bedroom door, made his way up the stone stairs, and exited the basement.

No sooner had Dr. Red left the basement than did Angel unleash his third pair of arms and vigorously wipe the kiss away.

Angel sighed and laid back on the bed, basking in the irony. He was rejecting kisses from men. Maybe he was becoming straight after all.

Angel breathed another deep sigh and settled back under his covers to enjoy a long night of sleep.

He relaxed that way for a few minutes until the air conditioner shut off.

Then Angel heard a familiar voice echoing through the vent, “You call this shit food?! Why don’t ya let me outta here so I can really give ya something to feast on…Oh, yeah?! If ya fuckin’ hurt Angel, I’m gonna come after ya after I finish off Sir Pentious tomorrow!”

Angel knew that sassy voice anywhere.

“Cherri!” Angel practically screamed.

In less than a minute, Angel loosened all his straps and ran over to the vent grating. 

“Cherri!” Angel called through the vent with a smile of relief. “Cherri, are you there?!”

“Angie?!” Cherri asked from the other side of the vent. “Angie, is that you?!” 

“Yeah,” Angel said with a sigh of relief. “Thank God! I thought they would have sent ya back to Sir Pentious already.”

“That ain’t happenin’ till tomorrow,” Cherri replied. “I’ve been here since last night. But never mind me, how are you?! Are you okay?! I thought I heard ya screamin’ earlier. What have they done to ya?”

“They gave me electroshock therapy earlier when I was putting up a fight, but besides that, not too much,” Angel said with a slight chuckle. “They gave me drugs and made me watch porn after that. Then, after he strapped me into bed, Doctor Red read me a bizarre homophobic bedtime story. They’re doing everything they can to turn me straight. 

“Holy fuck, Angel,” Cherri replied anxiously. “How can you be so calm about this? They’re really tryin’ to mess you up.”

“Blame the anti-anxiety medication Doctor Red made me take,” Angel replied. “What has been happening with you? My Dad and brother told me what happened between you guys, Charlie, Alastor, and them, but they wouldn’t tell me what happened after that.” 

“After your Dad dropped off Alastor and Vaggie at his mansion, he drove to Molly’s apartment and forced her out of the car. She was furious. The poor thing tried to chase down the car, but your Dad drove like a bat out of hell and lost her pretty easily,” Cherri explained. “I would have helped, but I was restrained with a straitjacket and your unconscious body…”

“Sorry about that,” Angel interrupted.

“No problem,” Cherri replied before continuing. “Your family brought me here, removed the straitjacket, and shoved me in this stupid room with its stupid bombproof doors, windows, and walls. They’ve kept me here all day and have only entered the room to give me plates of food and water bottles at gunpoint. Apparently, Sir Pentious isn’t going to be ready for me until tomorrow.”

“Goddammit, Cherri,” Angel said with angry tears at the corner of his eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

“It ain’t your fault, Angie,” Cherri said sarcastically. “Besides keeping me locked in an empty guest room with only a mattress on the floor and giving me plates of food and water bottles at gunpoint, they’ve been pretty nice to me. Except for your brother. He offered me freedom in exchange for certain favors.”

Angel busted out laughing and replied, “My libido-less brother tried to get you to sleep with him?!”

“I swear to God. I’m being completely serious, Angie,” Cherri said with a chuckle. “After they tossed me in here, your brother showed up around an hour later wearing heavy cologne and holding a bottle of champagne and asked me if I’d like to spend some time with him in exchange for freedom…”

“And?” Angel asked curiously.

“I threw a smoke bomb in his face,” Cherri said with a proud smirk in her voice. “That got him out of my hair really quick.”

Angel chuckled out loud and said, “That little shit. I’m so sorry, Cher.”

“Don’t be, dude,” Cherri said reassuringly. “This room ain’t all bad. It has a bathroom with magazines in it. I got to have a bath and wash my underwear and sock. Your Dad said this was a guest room they had renovated and hadn’t moved the furniture into yet, but that is bullshit. What kind of guestroom has bombproof walls, windows, and doors?”

“You’d be surprised with our line of work,” Angel replied. “But besides that, they’ve been treating you well?”

“Yeah, but never mind about me, Angie,” Cherri said, her tone shifting back to serious. “What about you? They’ve been trying to brainwash you all day to turn you straight! Jesus, man, that is really fucked up!”

“Yep, my therapist Doctor Red is a real piece of work, too,” Angel said. “God sent him to Hell for for doing this shit to other people and he thinks it was because he failed to convert anyone. He's gullible as hell though.”

“What do ya mean by that?” Cherri asked.

“Let me put it this way,” Angel explained. “Doctor Red thinks he can fix me, and I’m just playing him into my hands.”

“I gotcha,” Cherri replied.

“The plan was to have a meal with my father and brother before they went to Alastor’s wedding if I behave for the week,” Angel explained. “Then, when the end of the week comes, I take the opportunity to bust outta here and run to the wedding to save Vaggie. That was the plan anyway. Now, I gotta help you.”

“Aw, you don’t need to worry about me, Angie,” Cherri said. “I can break out of Edgelord’s place easily.”

“Cherri, I ain’t leaving you with Sir Pentious,” Angel protested.

“Angie, you don’t need to worry about…” Cherri tried to protest back.

Angel quickly cut her off, “Cherri, listen to me! Sir Pentious is an over-ambitious, incompetent simp, but you and I both know he is still strong enough, smart enough, and dangerous enough to be a threat to you and most other demons. If Sir Pentious didn’t take you right away, that means he is setting up something special to deal with ya. You couldn’t take him on alone before and I doubt you’d be able to this time. I am not letting that happen and that’s final.”

Cherri sighed loudly and said, “I know there’s no changing your mind, ya overprotective nut, but what are we gonna do? Sir Pentious will be here to take me tomorrow, you’re gonna be tortured in the basement, and I’ll have to fight a legion of your family members alone. I don’t even have a hope of breaking out of here before then with this fucking bombproof room. God, I should have just said yes to your brother. If your Dad thought we were a couple, I would have been allowed to stay.”

A lightbulb went off in Angel’s head.

“That’s it,” Angel said.

“What?” Cherri asked. “What’s your plan, Angie?”

Angel sighed deeply and said, “I know you ain’t gonna like this, but how about we get married?”

“What?!” Cherri asked incredulously.

“Hear me out,” Angel explained. “If I pretend that I’m madly in love with ya, Dr. Red and my family will be inclined to keep you around to spend time with me to aid in turning me straight. Then when I’m finally let outta here to spend time with my family, they’ll let you out, too. Understand?”

“Yeah, I got it,” Cherri said with a smile in her voice.

“All you gotta do is pretend to like me back,” Angel added. “Do you think you can do that?”

“Ugh,” Cherri groaned. “You’re like my older brother. This is gonna be so weird.”

“Cherri…” Angel pleaded.

“Alright,” Cherri agreed with another groan. “I ain’t no actor like you are, but I’ll try my best.”

“Just follow my lead, baby girl…” Angel said just as a sudden noise got his attention.

It was the sound of the cellar door opening.

“Shit,” Angel muttered to himself.

“Angie, what’s the matter?” Cherri asked in concern.

“The doc’s back, gotta go!” Angel replied in a rush.

Without waiting for a reply, Angel quickly hopped back into his bed and reshackled himself. He then made his third pair of arms disappear and shut his eyes.

Thankfully, the doctor reached the bottom of the stairs without taking any notice of any noise. 

As soon as Dr. Red walked past his door, Angel tossed and turned as loudly as he could while keeping his eyes shut and began calling Cherri’s name.

“Cherri!” Angel called out while dramatically tossing himself to one side of the bed and then the other. “Cherri!”

Angel heard Doctor Red opening the door to his room and asking himself, “What in the world is this?”

Angel smiled internally and kept up his performance.

“Cherri! Cherri! Cherri! Cherri! Cherri!”

Angel kept his eyes shut and continued calling Cherri’s name repeatedly while Doctor Red took notes on his note pad. 

“Interesting,” Doctor Red muttered in a pleased tone.

Suddenly, another voice called out from the top of the stairs. 

“Hey, doc!” Arackniss’s voice called. “Have you found your notes yet? The Don’s waiting for ya! What’s goin’ on?”

“An interesting development,” Dr. Red said gleefully. “You must come and see!”

Angel didn’t hear a response over his own cries, but he heard his brother walk down the stone stairs.

“What’s going on?” Arackniss asked. “What’s Anthony doing?”

“He’s calling a woman’s name in his sleep,” Dr. Red said excitedly. “Please observe.”

The pair were silent while Angel continued pretending to sleep and call Cherri’s name.

Arackniss scoffed and said, “Oh, he’s calling for his gal pal, Cherri Bomb.”

“Cherri Bomb?” Dr. Red asked. “Oh, right! The kingpin who tried to help Anthony and Alastor’s fiancée run away.”

At this point, Angel ceased yelling Cherri’s name and pretended to settle back down so that he could listen to the conversation.

“The very one,” Arackniss replied. “She’s locked in the guest room on the first floor. We’re selling her to her rival Sir Pentious tomorrow in exchange for weapons. Anthony hasn’t seen her since that night, so he’s probably just worried about her.”

“Interesting,” Dr. Red said writing more notes in his notebook. “Have they known each other long?”

“Anthony’s helped her with her turf wars for about 40 years from what I’ve gathered,” Arackniss said. “From what I’ve heard, they’re pretty close.”

“Interesting,” Dr. Red said. “40 years is more than long enough to develop a romantic attraction. It seems that the treatment is working faster than we thought. My scientific opinion is that Anthony is developing a longing for this demoness.”

Arackniss snickered under his breath and said, “After only a day of therapy? There’s no way. She and Anthony are only friends.”

“Don’t be so sure, Arackniss,” Dr. Red said confidently. “Perhaps your brother and Cherri were only friends, but I’ve found that often in pursuing homosexual relations a patient might be suppressing desire for a heterosexual partner. Now that we’re pushing away the homosexual attractions, the suppressed attraction to his female friend. Oh, this is so exciting. I must get this demoness involved in the therapy.”

“How do ya plan on doing that?” Arackniss asked.

“Gradually, of course,” Dr. Red replied. “We mustn’t throw Anthony into it. We must ease him into the heterosexual relationship like a glove.”

“I still don’t know about your theory but easing Anthony into a heterosexual doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Arackniss said, making a puffing noise that let Angel know that he was puffing on a cigarette. “So, what do we do first?”

“First, we must discuss this with your father,” Dr. Red replied.

Arackniss and Dr. Red then shut the door and headed upstairs. Angel waited until the moment he heard them both shut the door to the basement before he unstrapped himself and dashed back to the vent.

Angel reached the vent and said, “Cherri?!”

“Angie?! What happened?!” Cherri replied concernedly.

“Dr. Red came down to retrieve his notes, so I started crying out your name,” Angel said with a smirk. “He came in to watch me, called my brother down, and now, they’re going to talk to my Dad to get you integrated into my therapy.”

“Hot damn, Angel Dust,” Cherri Bomb said with a proud scoff. “How’d you pull it off?”

“Thank my 50 years of acting, sugar tits,” Angel bragged. “Dr. Red is now convinced that you’re my repressed crush. My brother ain’t convinced, but it doesn’t matter. Either way, you ain’t going nowhere.”

“Holy shit,” Cherri said. “You never cease to amaze me, Angel. I owe you one.”

“Don’t mention it, Cher,” Angel said. “Now, we just gotta act our way out of here.”

“Oh, God,” Cherri said in a sudden panic. 

“What’s the matter?” Angel asked.

“Do you think they’ll make us have sex while they watch?” Cherri asked.

Angel paused for a moment and said, “Oh, God. I didn’t think of that.”

Just then, Cherri heard some hands fiddling with the locks outside her door.

“Angie, they’re here, talk to ya later,” Cherri muttered out in a hurry before she zipped back to her mattress and curled up into a fetal position, pretending to be asleep.

Arackniss pushed open the door, and Dr. Red flicked on the lights and entered the room.

“Doc, what are you doing? You’re gonna wake her up,” Arackniss protested in a whisper. “We put her in the bombproof room for a reason, you know.”

Dr. Red ignored Arackniss and continued to look around the room and grimace at the conditions. 

“Doc,” Arackniss whispered again.

“I heard you the first time, Arackniss,” Dr. Red said. “I know very well what Miss Cherri Bomb is capable of. I do not intend to wake her. I only intend to make observations...”

Dr. Red took a moment to look at Cherri and continued, “Cherri Bomb is a scrawny little thing, but she is pretty. She looks cold and hungry though. You must improve these conditions. A man who falls in love must be comfortable.”

Arackniss sighed out his cigarette smoke and said, “I suppose we can add some blankets in here.”

“That’s not enough, Arackniss,” Dr. Red chided. “You need to furnish the room, give her proper beauty products, give her books to read, and clothes to change into. You need to feed her better as well. Women are delicate creatures, Arackniss. You need to take care of them.”

“If you’re sure,” Arackniss replied skeptically. 

“Of course, I’m sure,” Dr. Red retorted. “I used to give courting advice, you know. Now, we must go speak to your father, but for tonight, fetch Miss Cherri Bomb some blankets to put her in a more pleased mood.”

Arackniss grumbled, “Very well.”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Dr. Red asked. “Hop to it.”

“Hey,” Arackniss protested. “Watch your tone, doc. We’re employing you.”

“And your father told you to do whatever I asked,” Dr. Red quipped. “Now, go.”

Arackniss silently stewed for a moment before he rolled his eyes and left the room to find the blankets.

While Arackniss was looking for the blankets, Dr. Red sat down on the mattress next to Cherri’s sleeping form. Cherri felt him sit down next to her, but she managed to maintain her relaxed composure.

That was until Dr. Red started stroking her hip.

Cherri made a yelp of dislike and twitched her leg away.

“Oh, dear,” Dr. Red said apologetically taking his hand away. “I’m so sorry, love. I didn’t mean to wake you. Go back to sleep.”

Cherri turned over to the side of the mattress facing away from the doctor and pretended to try to go back to sleep.

Fortunately, just then, Arackniss entered the room with a stack of blankets and a pillow.

“I’m back,” Arackniss announced. 

“Good,” Dr. Red replied taking the pillow out of his hands. “Now, let’s get her more comfortable.”

Dr. Red gently lifted Cherri’s head and placed a pillow under it while Arackniss covered her body with the blankets.

Once the blankets covered her form, Cherri pretended to relax in her pretend sleep.

As Dr. Red shut out the lights and left the room, he said, “She’s a good one. I can tell. Miss Cherri Bomb is extremely sensitive to the touch of a man.”

Arackniss groaned jealously as he left the room and shut and locked the door behind him.

Once she was sure they had gone, Cherri zipped back to the vent to explain what had happened to an anxiously waiting Angel.

The pair shared a few laughs and discussed some more details of their plan before they finally parted for the night and went to sleep.


	48. Chapter 48

When he woke up the next morning, Angel noticed that his hands and feet were already unstrapped. He wriggled his arms and legs at the free sensation and smiled. 

The plan was working already.

Resisting the temptation to go back to sleep, Angel instantly left his bed and opened his door.

Upon opening the door, Angel saw Doctor Red setting up a table, but it wasn’t the plastic table where the two of them had been sharing their meals. It appeared to be a much more elegant table that he was connecting the pieces to. It was just then that he noticed Arackniss was helping him.

Neither of them had noticed him appear yet, so Angel smiled for a moment at his plan going into motion. Then he suppressed that smile and replaced it with his normal pathetic-looking expression. 

“Doctor Red?” Angel asked.

Arackniss and Doctor Red looked up from their work.

Arackniss maintained his cold stare, but Doctor Red perked up and said, “Good morning, Anthony! Did you sleep well?”

Angel nodded and asked, “What are you and Arackniss doing?”

“What does it look like we’re doin’?” Arackniss quipped sarcastically.

“Arackniss, please,” Dr. Red chided before turning back to Angel. “We’re setting up a new table for you to eat at, Angel.”

“Why?” Angel asked innocently.

“We have something a little different planned for you today, Anthony,” Dr. Red replied vaguely. “So, while we’re taking care of this, you need to get ready in the bathroom. Feel free to take a hot shower and prepare yourself for however long you want. I have already laid out your clean clothes for you.”

“Uh…okay,” Angel said, playing along and pretending to be confused.

Angel made his way to the bathroom and slowly shut the door behind him to savor the sight of Arackniss having to help the good doctor put the table together and to take the moment to register the situation.

Doctor Red was completely on board. Don Henroin was at least open to the idea of Angel getting with Cherri if he was making Arackniss help. Arackniss was downright skeptical and borderline hostile. Angel would have to watch out for him.

With that in mind, after a quick bathroom break, Angel stepped into the hot shower and washed himself clean. The hot water felt fantastic on his furry form after a whole day of struggling to stay warm in the over-air-conditioned basement. He was sure to relish every moment with that heat.

Angel finished his shower and took his time getting ready. He combed his hair. He put on the deodorant and cologne that Dr. Red so generously and subtly placed in the bathroom. He put on his clean, ugly gray uniform and matching loafers. He brushed his teeth.

While working on his teeth, Angel peaked out the door to see what Dr. Red and his brother were up to. They were putting the finishing touches on the table after finally getting it together and appeared to be discussing something else. Angel couldn’t hear them, so he shut the bathroom and resumed brushing his teeth.

As soon as he finished brushing his teeth, Angel combed his hair a final time and put on his best shy face before he exited the bathroom. 

Dr. Red stood at the head of the assembled table. Curiously, Arackniss was not with him.

“Hello, Anthony,” Dr. Red said. “Are you ready for the day?”

Angel nodded timidly and asked, “Why did you guys set up a new table?”

“We thought that your basement needed to be spruced up a little,” Dr. Red explained. “Now, take your seat and wait for your surprise.”

“Okay,” Angel said taking his seat at the lovely mahogany table. 

No sooner had he sat down, than did the cellar door open.

Angel keenly watched the stairs and Cherri walking into the basement with Arackniss walking in behind her. 

“Cherri?” Angel asked, standing up and pretending to be surprised. “What are you doing here? Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Cherri responded.

“We were going to sell her to Sir Pentious, but the good doctor decided you two should spend time together,” Arackniss explained, pushing Cherri over to a chair sitting opposite of Angel. “So, get to it.”

“Arackniss, not so rough,” Dr. Red chided, pushing him out of the way so that he could pull Cherri’s chair out for her. 

“Thanks, doc,” Cherri said, shooting Arackniss a nasty glare as she sat down.

“Now, tell me, Anthony. Do you know this young lady well?” Dr. Red asked.

“Of course,” Anthony said shyly. “She’s my best friend.”

“And Angel is mine!” Cherri said, showing so much enthusiasm that Angel felt himself internally cringe.

“Interesting,” Dr. Red noted, scribbling some notes onto his notepad while Arackniss watched on in annoyance. 

“So, is what Arackniss said true?” Angel asked hopefully, mustering a sparkle in his eyes to properly convey his excitement. “Does Cherri get to stay with us for the remainder of my therapy?”

“Of course, Anthony,” Dr. Red said, placing a supportive hand on Angel’s shoulder.

“Really?” Angel said, widening his two open eyes as widely and happily as he could. “Oh, thank you, doc! Thank you so much!”

Catching on to his cue, Cherri said, “Yeah, thanks, doc!”

“Don’t mention it, you two,” Doctor Red said, leaning over and putting a stony hand on Doctor Red’s shoulders as well. “I’m happy to do anything that will help Anthony.”

Angel smiled warmly and happily. Cherri mirrored his joyful smile. Dr. Red also smiled. Arackniss watched on and simply rolled his eyes.

After an awkward pause, Doctor Red took his hands of the pair and said, “I’ll leave you two to catch up while I get breakfast ready. I’ll be over in the kitchen making omelets with your brother if you need us, Anthony.”

“Okay,” Angel replied. “Thanks!”

Arackniss stood close by and stared suspiciously until Dr. Red called him over to the kitchen to help him out. 

As soon as Arackniss reluctantly walked over, Angel leaned over the table and whispered as quietly as he could, “Cherri, are you okay? I mean, really okay. Arackniss looked like he was being rough with ya.”

“Nothing I couldn’t handle, Angie,” Cherri said, matching his quiet tone. “I think he’s more jealous than anything. What about you? You look rough. That outfit is hideous.”

“Tell me about it,” Angel said with a quiet scoff. “I’m doing better now that I have a plan. Speakin’ of, you’re doin’ okay so far, but to make this work, we have to pretend that we are slowly starting to like each other. We have to make subtle romantic gestures and things like that. We also need to keep our conversations quiet because we’re being monitored with a hidden camera. You got that, baby girl?”

“I think so,” Cherri replied. “I hope I can keep up with your acting. I must say you make a very convincing sub.”

Angel chuckled quietly and said, “Thanks, babe. I’ve had years of practice.”

“You two having fun over there?” Arackniss suddenly asked from across the room, staring directly at Angel. 

Masterfully feigning innocence, Angel said, “Yep! Cherri was just telling me a funny joke. You want to hear it?”

Arackniss stared suspiciously for a moment, but when Angel didn’t break his innocent look, he said, “I think I’ll pass.”

“Oh, that is just delightful!” Doctor Red cried out gleefully from the kitchen. “I’m glad to see you two are enjoying each other’s company. Now, sit tight. Breakfast is almost ready!”

Angel smiled gently and held Cherri’s hands. Cherri gave Angel’s hands a tight squeeze and smiled softly in return.

Doctor Red smiled. Arackniss watched suspiciously from the corner. Angel and Cherri returned to talking to each other for the rest of the time required to make breakfast.

Several minutes later, Doctor Red announced, “Breakfast is ready!”

“Oh, how wonderful,” Angel said enthusiastically. 

“Yeah,” Cherri said, mirroring his tone. “Just swell.”

Dr. Red set down two plates with delicious-looking omelets on them. Arackniss set down two glasses of orange juice along with two sets of silverware. 

Once the items were set down, Doctor Red gestured to Arackniss to follow him upstairs.

“Wait, Doctor Red,” Angel said. “Aren’t you and Arackniss gonna eat with us?”

“Oh, goodness, no,” Doctor Red said as he and Arackniss made their way to the stone staircase. 

Arackniss turned around in his tracks and explained, “We got to fix up some things in your gal pal’s room. Don’t do anything stupid while we’re gone or there will be consequences.”

Arackniss turned back around and continued walking up the stairs.

Doctor Red looked back at his two patients, chuckled nervously, and said, “Don’t mind him. Enjoy your time together and we’ll be back after breakfast to check on you. Okay?”

Angel smiled innocently and said, “You got it, Doctor. We’ll be good.”

“Yeah,” Cherri added. “See you real soon.”

Doctor Red smiled back and headed back up the stairs behind Arackniss without another word.

The two demons left the basement, slammed the door shut, and locked the door behind them.

When they were sure they were gone, Angel and Cherri busted up laughing. They laughed until tears were flowing down their faces.

“Oh, my God,” Cherri whispered once they had calmed down enough to hear each other whispering. “That doctor is a complete sap.”

“You have no idea,” Angel whispered back.

“I’ve never seen any shrink that gullible,” Cherri said, rubbing the tears from her eyes. 

“Me neither,” Angel said, suddenly changing his tone. “But we still gotta play this safe. My Dad and brother ain’t stupid.”

“I’ll say,” Cherri agreed, cutting up the first piece of her omelet. “Your older brother is more than a little skeptical.”

“That is an understatement,” Angel said, doing the same.

“What is his problem with you anyway?” 

“My big brother hates me because my Dad does. One of the major reasons is because I’m gay and I refused to change.”

“So, they have locked you in this basement to force you to change."

“Exactly.”

“You’d think they’d have figured out by now that this crap is pseudoscience.”

“It’s the time we lived and died in. You need to keep in mind that they’re as old school as it gets when it comes to this type of thing. Back in the 1940s, they thought that my orientation was a mental illness and that gay conversion therapy and copious amounts of brainwashing were all that it took to change it. They’re also traditional Cosa Nostra Sicilians who believe that the family circle is everything. Any son running away and rebelling is a disgrace, especially when that son is a mafia made man they loved to rely on, so this is their way of making me a perfect model son they can bring back into the fold.” 

“Damn, your life has been a major drag, Angie,” Cherri said, reaching over to hold his hand. 

“In this life and the first,” Angel agreed. “But this is what we have to deal with for the time being. Now, we need to convince all of them that we’re in love so we can get out of this mess.”

“What do we do first, Angie? Should we start smooching on the table?” Cherri asked sticking a forkful of omelet into her mouth. 

“No,” Angel replied with a shake of his head. “We need to go slower, baby girl. Make it feel a bit more realistic. How do you feel about sitting on my lap?” 

“Sure,” Cherri said. “I’m all for it.”

“Alright, finish your food and get over here,” Angel said with a lewd smile for the cameras he knew were watching them.

“Will do!” Cherri chuckled under her breath as she returned to eating her food. 

After a few minutes, Cherri had finished her orange juice and her omelet. Angel had done the same, so he scooted back his chair and beckoned for Cherri to sit on his lap.

Cherri flashed a smile, hopped to her feet, practically skipped her way over to Angel, and sat on his lap.

“Move your hands behind my neck,” Angel whispered into Cherri’s ear. “You need to hold me and lean on top of my chest. Okay?” 

“Alright,” Cherri said, awkwardly obeying Angel’s orders.

“There, just like that,” Angel said, wrapping both pairs of arms around Cherri’s back and holding her gently against his chest. 

Cherri relaxed onto Angel’s soft body and said, “God, this feels weird. It’s been forever since I’ve done this with anyone.”

“I don’t blame ya. That bastard ex did a number on you,” Angel said, rubbing Cherri’s back as she leaned her head on his shoulder. 

“Yep,” Cherri said stiffening her back in remembrance. “Never again.”

“Damn, did you ever have any man in your life who was good to ya?” Angel asked, stroking Cherri’s back to help her relax.

“There was one,” Cherri sighed. “I think I told you about him before.”

“Oh, yeah…” Angel remembered. “Jay, the high school sweetheart. He sounded nice from what you told me. I’m surprised you don’t talk about him more often.”

“It’s painful, Angie,” Cherri replied sadly. “He was one of the only men I ever met who was good to me. When he died, I knew I’d never know anyone as nice as he was ever again. When I died, that premonition came true, except for you, of course.”

“Let me guess,” Angel added. “Jay ended up on the other side of eternity. Didn’t he?”

Cherri nodded her head, and Angel felt a teardrop fall onto his bare neck. Then another. Then another.

Cherri sat up and wiped the tears out of her eyes before any more could fall.

“Dammit, Angel,” Cherri said with a chuckle. “Sorry about that. Don’t know what’s come over me.”

“You know you ain’t gotta apologize to me,” Angel said, using his finger to wipe away some of the tears. “I have people I want to see on the other side of eternity, too. It’s one of the reasons I decided to join the hotel.”

“Yeah, you told everyone in the limo,” Cherri said.

“Oh, yeah,” Angel said with a chuckle. “I forgot about that.”

Cherri smiled sadly and leaned on Angel’s neck again.

“Do you really think it’s possible to be redeemed, Angie?” asked Cherri. “You told me originally you just wanted to live somewhere rent-free. Do you believe in Princess Charlie’s cause? It’s okay. I won’t laugh at ya.”

Angel scoffed, paused for a moment, and then replied thoughtfully, “To be honest, I don’t know if I do or not. No sinner has ever been redeemed from Hell as far as I know. I had no idea if I believed in Charlie’s mission or not when I joined the hotel, but I wanted to try anyway. Just to see if I could be something more than the worthless piece of shit I had turned myself into. After some time with Charlie and Vaggie and their therapy, I oddly enough found myself wanting to be that better person a bit more, just a bit. At least, I thought it was only a bit. When I found out Vaggie was kidnapped, I acted on the impulse to save her with hardly a second thought. Despite our differences, I kept fighting and was there for her when she needed me, and even after all that has happened, I want to keep fighting for her. Not because I expect anything from her, but because I see her as being as much of my friend as you are and I don’t want her to suffer, no matter what it costs me. I have grown stronger, strong enough to even stand up to Valentino. I want to stay with the hotel because I want to keep getting stronger. I want to believe I can be. I want to keep going and see if I can become the person my mother believed I could be so that I can reach her. And if nothing else, I want to keep going because I finally like the person I am.”

Cherri sat up, looked into Angel’s eyes, and smiled proudly as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“I’m proud of you, Angie,” Cherri said, giving Angel a hug. 

“Babe, when we get outta here, you should think about joining the hotel, too,” Angel said. “You might have a chance to be redeemed and get to see your loved ones again, too.”

Cherri visibly hesitated and said, “I don’t know, Angie. That is a big leap for me to take…”

“You leap off buildings all the time,” Angel said with a chuckle.

Cherri giggled under her breath and protested, “This is a bit different, Angel. I’d have to give up so much, like my territory and my kingpin status.”

“I know,” Angel said, rubbing her back again. “Just think about it. Okay?”

“Okay,” Cherri agreed. “I will.”

Angel gave Cherri another hug just as they both heard the cellar door unlock and open.

As the pair of footsteps descended the stairs, Angel held Cherri’s chin, she wordlessly nodded to him, and they embraced.

Doctor Red appeared at the bottom of the stairs with Arackniss following behind him. 

The good doctor noticed Cherri sitting in Angel’s lap, crossed the basement, and said, “Well, you two seem to be enjoying each other’s company.”

“Yeah, you two need a room?” Arackniss asked dryly. 

“Well, we were having a nice conversation, but you two interrupted it,” Angel replied with an innocent smile. 

“Hey!” Arackniss snapped. “You need to watch your tone or you’re going back to that chair.”

Angel trembled as obviously as he could and buried his face into Cherri’s shoulder to look more scared. 

Cherri caught onto Angel’s cue and rubbed his back while saying, “There, there, honey. No one is sending you back to that nasty old chair. Right, doc?”

“Right,” Doctor Red said before shooting Arackniss a reprimanding glare. “Arackniss, there’s no need to be so rude. Anthony was simply enjoying his time alone with his friend. It’s natural not to want to be interrupted. Now, apologize and cease this rudeness at once.”

“Yeah, Arackniss,” Cherri agreed. “Say you’re sorry.”

Angel looked up expectantly, and Arackniss reluctantly muttered, “Fine, I’m sorry.”

“Your apology’s accepted,” Angel said as shyly as before. 

Arackniss rolled his eyes, crossed his arms, and sulked.

“Anyways,” Doctor Red continued. “How have you two been enjoying each other’s company?”

“Very much, doctor,” Angel said.

“Yeah, we’re all good here,” Cherri chimed in. “So, are you back to do some therapy?”

“That depends,” Doctor Red replied.

“Uh, what do you mean, Dr. Red?” Angel asked nervously. 

“How well do you know Miss Cherri Bomb?” Doctor Red asked.

Angel and Cherri glanced at each other before Angel answered, “Very well. Why?”

“Are you two close friends?” Doctor Red asked inquisitively writing in his notepad. 

“I’d say so,” Angel replied honestly. 

“Interesting,” Doctor Red replied without looking up from the notes he was writing in his notepad. 

“So, what do we do now?” Cherri asked.

“You two will continue to enjoy each other’s company,” Doctor Red replied, putting his notepad back into his lab coat’s pocket. 

“O…kay,” Angel replied. 

“But I think a change of scenery is in order,” Doctor Red announced. “Don’t you? How would you two like to spend time in Cherri’s room?”

“That sounds fine, I suppose,” Angel replied. 

“Oh, goody!” Doctor Red exclaimed cheerfully. “I already spoke to your father and got his approval. Now, would you two kindly follow me upstairs?”

“Sure!” Angel exclaimed just as enthusiastically. “I would love to!”

“Then follow me,” Doctor Red said, turning and heading back to the stairs without another word.

Angel and Cherri quickly got to their feet and followed right behind him while Arackniss followed in the rear.

“I hope you don’t mind cramming onto a small mattress,” Cherri whispered to Angel with a sarcastic scoff.

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't have an Ao3 account, so I decided to upload it here.
> 
> Edit: I'm now running a Patreon for the original book I'm writing. Please support me if you can. Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/LightTheMatch?fan_landing=true


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